


Like the Tides we Ebb and Flow

by The_Pen_Dragon



Series: Siren Song [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, Graphic Violence, High Fantasy, M/M, Monsterfucking, graphic depictions of someone nearly drowning, mermaid au, mermaids are monsterous predators, mermaids do eat humans be warned, past trauma and abuse, some of the pt are pirates and some are mermaids, the explicit content is fairly late in the story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:53:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 55,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28783746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Pen_Dragon/pseuds/The_Pen_Dragon
Summary: Goro is a mermaid who hates all humans. He's hell bent on revenge against the Commodore of the Royal Navy, and would love to see as many humans as possible taken out along the way.Akira Kurusu is a pirate captain with a bleeding heart, determined to help all those who need a hand, he can't turn a blind eye, even when the person in trouble is no person at all.In this world where humans and mermaids hunt each other in a never ending cycle, the course of their futures will be forever changed by one fateful encounter.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Okumura Haru/Niijima Makoto (minor), Suzui Shiho/Takamaki Ann (minor)
Series: Siren Song [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2110326
Comments: 60
Kudos: 135
Collections: Goro Big Bang NSFW 2020





	1. Refracted Gold

**Author's Note:**

> My second piece for the Goro Big Bang!! And this one is ~Spicy~
> 
> This mermaid AU is something I'm insanely excited about, and have a lot of big plans for, this is the first entry out of a planned three stories, I hope you all enjoy it! 
> 
> And of course, this whole piece is INCREDIBLY heightened by so much amazing art from my partner on this piece, @spaceteacake_ on twitter, spaceteacake on tumblr, and space_coffee here on Ao3!  
> The links to all her amazing pieces will be in the notes of each chapter, be sure to give her a follow!

The ocean was vast, cold and unyielding. Waves crashed relentlessly against both shore and ship, threatening to drag those who disrespected her to a watery grave. The sea was, in every sense of the word, danger. Rife with freezing waters, massive fish, and the ever present threat of carnivorous mermaids that lurked in the depths, a man would have to be insane to so much as touch his fingertips to the icy surface.  
  
Akira Kurusu was no sane man.  
  
Swinging high on the tightly rigged halyard that clung to the main mast, he perched precariously with one foot hooked into the ropes, one hand gripping the thick twine, the rest of his body leaning hard off the ship’s edge, a bright gleam in his eye that all those close to him recognized easily as ‘reckless excitement’.  
  
“We’re approaching land, captain!” the voice of his navigator, a straight-laced woman named Makoto, called out over the rushing wind and crashing waves. “The wind is too strong to dock properly!”  
  
Akira swung around on the ropes, the wind at his back pushing him easily into the netting. He let the momentum carry him over the main deck before letting go, landing in a roll that stopped just short of one of his crewmates. The shorter man jumped back, eyeing Akira nervously.  
  
Akira gave a flourishing bow. “Mishima,” he said simply, then turned his attention to the woman at the helm. “If it’s too tricky for you, then maybe you’d like me to take her in?” he called.  
  
Makoto scoffed in offense, “It’s not too _tricky,_ captain, it’s _dangerous!_ ”  
  
Akira strode up the steps to the helm, long leather coat billowing out behind him. He propped himself against Makoto, one arm slung over her shoulder as he squinted out into the sea ahead, trying to see what she saw. The waves were harsher than usual, with the wind kicking them up far higher and more frequently. But Akira was confident his ship could withstand such things, Makoto was just overly cautious.  
  
She smacked his arm off of her, an action that most captains would likely have scolded her over. Akira simply laughed and kicked one heeled boot up on the wheel stand. “Makoto, come now! Where’s your sense of adventure, huh? What kind of pirate doesn’t take risks?”  
  
“The kind that lives into her thirties!” Makoto retorted.  
  
“Well, you have fun growing old, Queenie. I’ll be busy living,” Akira replied simply. He hip bumped her away from the helm, placing his gloved hands on the wheel. She crossed her arms, the nickname always making her bristle, but said nothing else.  
  
Akira gave a sharp whistle and raised his right arm, “EVERYONE! WE’LL BE DOCKING! GET BELOW DECK OR ELSE HOLD TIGHT!”  
  
The sound of countless boots on wood followed his call, with many scrambling below deck, and a few grabbing onto the rigging to prepare themselves. He looked over at Makoto, who was sitting against the slats of the wall, both hands grasping the anchor, and shot her a mischievous little smirk. She glared back.  
  
Akira turned his attention to the sea ahead, feeling his crew had ample time to get to safety by now. He planted his feet firmly on the deck, taking in a deep breath of that fresh, salty air, before spinning the wheel right as hard and fast as it would go. Water rushed along the edge of the ship, the harsh turn kicking up a wall of water that splashed up onto the deck and soaked the gunners still holding onto the rigging.  
  
The ship creaked and groaned against the sea, the wind fighting with the sails as Akira fought right back. The shore was close enough he could see the buildings, and he wasn’t about to let the wind dictate his course. “HOLD!” he yelled out, like any of his shipmates wouldn’t be clinging on for dear life.  
  
The ship pushed hard through turbulent waves, Akira narrowing his eyes and gritting his teeth, sinking forward into the wheel as the wood beneath protested. The wind gusted by, threatening to push him off the helm entirely. Makoto yelled out something, but he couldn’t hear her over the deadly song of the sea.  
  
As the other docked ships came into view, Akira was able to get his own at an angle suitable to squeeze between the seated vessels. He yelled as hard as he could over the wind, telling Makoto to ready the anchor.  
  
The ship groaned once more as Akira called out, his remaining above deck crew scrambling to pull in the sails. The massive vessel came to a slow, agonizing halt. The ripple of waves around it rolling up and sloshing onto the ports, the ship coming to a full stop a little too close for comfort.  
  
Akira ran to the edge of the ship, peering over the slats to see a few angry, soaked sailors. “Sorry lads!” he called down, raising a hand up in apology.  
  
The sailors threw some choice words back at him, but the pirate paid them no mind, swiveling on his heel and looking down at Makoto triumphantly. “I told you she’d dock just fine.”  
  
Makoto shakily rose to her feet, “Help me push the anchor into place, and pray that I don’t change my mind about tying you to it first.”  
  
Akira gave her a hearty pat on the back and turned, calling out to the others. “Ryuji! Haru! Get up here and help us with the anchor!”  
  
A few heavy bootsteps and some quiet grumbling later, his two thoroughly soaked crewmates were in front of him. His first mate Ryuji gave a thumbs up as he wrung out the end of his shirt. “Coulda been worse!”  
  
Haru, his best gunner, looked less optimistic than the blonde. She hiked her skirt up to the thigh, making Ryuji turn away quickly, and wrung the ends of her dress. Water poured off like she’d turned on a spigot, her normally thick, wild hair clung to her face like a wet mop. “Captain,” she said, her voice demure and deadly, “I do wonder at times if you value your life.”  
  
Akira cleared his throat and glanced away. “Go towel off, the three of us can handle the anchor, my lady.”  
  
“Your silver tongue will not continue to save you from my irritation, _Captain,_ ” Haru returned, beginning to undo her bodice without even turning away. “You are quite reckless, and it would be in your best interest to actually _use_ that brain of yours every now and then, instead of rushing into whatever ‘fun’ your heart demands of you.” She finished with the ties on her dress, dropped the whole thing onto the deck with a wet ‘schlop’, and turned, striding below deck in just her britches.  
  
Ryuji’s face was cherry red, pointed ears turned flat against his head. He hurried over to the hefty anchor, where Makoto was staring after where Haru had been. Akira cleared his throat, face also pink, and joined them at the anchor. “Well, shall we?”  
  
“She’s scary,” Ryuji mumbled, “it’s kinda hot…”  
  
“She’s _taken,_ ” Makoto said, a warning hint in her tone as the three dropped the anchor over the side of the ship.  
  
Akira never knew how to take Haru, the woman was nothing but surprises. She was stronger than most of the men on board, and could set a table and sip tea like any royal. He’d seen her blend in at an ambassador’s party one hour, and snap a man’s neck while wearing a ball gown the next. She was a hell of a woman, and one of the few people who could actually frighten him into listening when he got too out of line. Akira thought he’d hit pretty close to that line today, and perhaps next time he _would_ heed Makoto’s warnings about dangerous conditions. To avoid Haru’s ire, if nothing else.  
  
\---  
  
After getting the ship properly docked, Akira headed to his cabin to retire his lovely embroidered coat to its hook. He was partial to it, and it provided wonderful warmth even in harsh winds out on the high seas, but it really did scream ‘pirate’ to everyone on land. Fortunately, his dress shirt beneath, with its ruffled neck and flared sleeves, could easily be mistaken for a high class citizen’s dress, if worn with the proper jacket.  
  
Akira walked to his chest of clothes, gently lifting his rescue cat, Morgana, off of the box so he could sift through it. The cat let out a sleepy, protesting meow as he moved him. The furry creature blinked all three eyes, one after the other, and lashed his forked tail in mild annoyance. Akira gave him a few pets as an apology. “Sorry Mona, but I need my good clothes for market.”  
  
Morgana was a curious creature for sure, and Akira used the term ‘cat’ a little loosely, but he was pretty sure that’s what he was. Akira had found him in the remnants of a burned out building, half his fur burned off, curled up by the corpse of a woman. Maybe an act of malice, or just an attempt at a spell gone wrong. Either way, with the extra eye, curious tail, and too-human way the cat regarded Akira when he spoke, he was sure the cat had been a real witch’s familiar.  
  
Morgana’s big blue eyes stared up at him, then he yawned again and trotted off to lay his fluffy butt right on Akira’s half inked map. The dual tip of his tail smearing the ink twice as efficiently as any normal, non-familiar cat. The pirate sighed and shook his head of the old memory, turning his attention back to his clothes. He was more than used to re-doing work thanks to Morgana’s tendency to see everything as a viable toy and or nap spot, but he had no regrets in taking him in.  
  
He pulled out a nice looking red cotton jacket, patting the dust off it and throwing it on. He smoothed the sides and walked to the full length mirror in the corner of his quarters. Yep. Now he looked like a smartly dressed pirate. He sighed and returned to the box, digging around for different trousers and shoes as well.  
  
After a while of dressing and trying to make himself look like a halfway respectable member of society, there was a knock at Akira’s door. “Come in,” he called, adjusting the fringe of his shirt.  
  
“Captain,” a dark haired woman greeted, nodding respectfully towards him. She was dressed in one of the ‘going out’ gowns that the crew kept on hand for market trips. Most of the deck women disliked skirts, and Akira wasn’t a fan of making them wear them, so the gowns were reserved for trips where they had to properly blend in. They weren’t even needed in some, more progressive cities, but they had just docked in Lion’s head; the city was well known for its strict laws regarding women.  
  
“Hifumi,” Akira replied, pressing his hair back with one more handful of grease, “do you have our supply list prepped?”  
  
Hifumi nodded once. “Indeed. But, Captain, the others are raising concerns about first mate Ryuji joining us on shore. He’s simply too brash and offensively loud, the risk of being discovered as pirates is far too great.”  
  
Akira scoffed, dress boots clicking as he walked up to the woman. He stood a good head and shoulders over her in his boots, and leaned one arm against the door frame just above her head, looking her in the eye. “I think I know who we can and can’t trust on shore missions. Unless you’re calling me incompetent?”  
  
Hifumi glanced away, cheeks dusting pink. She cleared her throat nervously. “O-of course not, Captain, I merely worry about how much he stands out-”  
  
Akira silenced her with a short, sharp rap on the wood above her head. “Do not question my choice of company. You were welcomed onto my ship with open arms, you were given a chance at a life outside what your mother demanded from you. Don’t return my kindness with insults.” His eyes were molten silver, a lethal anger burning just beneath the surface, threatening to boil up should she push her luck.  
  
Akira didn’t anger easily, there were few things that he was terribly passionate about, but his closest friends were one of those topics only fools dared question. Ryuji was a clumsy, brutish elf with a heart of gold. He looked forward to their shore trips more than anyone else, and it was true he stood out more than some, but Akira would never insult his friend’s capabilities by making him wait on the ship like some sad, forgotten dog.  
  
“M-my sincerest apologies, Captain,” Hifumi replied meekly. “I won’t question your judgment.”  
  
“Who else has these concerns?” Akira asked evenly.  
  
Hifumi shifted from foot to foot, seeming unwilling to answer. Akira leaned out of her personal space, giving her a little breathing room. “I respect your loyalty to your fellow crewmates, but it’s never good to have a crew with shaky confidence in their first mate. Tell me, so I can speak with them.”  
  
Hifumi took a breath, seeming less shaky now that Akira wasn’t looming over her. “Yes sir… one of our gunners, Iwai, and a few deckhands. I’m afraid I don’t remember the deckhands names.”  
  
“Thank you, Hifumi,” Akira replied, putting on a polite smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Dismissed.”  
  
She nodded once and turned, speed-walking to the safety of the main deck. Akira was, in his own mind at least, fairly lenient for a pirate captain. He tolerated his crew judging his more reckless actions, heard out their ideas like equals, as any good captain should. But ultimately, he was still their leader, and he wouldn’t tolerate crewmates genuinely insulting or distrusting his leadership.  
  
He’d heard of other crews mutinying, voting out their captain, or simply pushing them into the unforgiving sea for trying to take charge in the strict way Akira often did. But he wasn’t worried, none of his crew had been forced into joining, none were prisoners in any sense. They all came willingly, following his gentle assurances and promises of a better life. A life he genuinely tried to provide for them. He knew they wouldn’t bite the hand that fed.  
  
Akira pulled on his nice white cotton gloves, adjusting them on his wrist as he strode out onto the deck. A few crewmates whispered to each other as Akira walked by. They never tried to go against his final word, but many grew concerned when the captain got into an intense mood. He stopped in the dead center of the main deck, level with the rest of his crew, and let out a sharp whistle.  
  
Everyone’s attention turned to him, even Haru, who had just emerged from below deck in a fine gown, paused partway out the door. Akira ran a hand through his slicked hair, one hip cocked to the side, silver gaze sweeping his crew. “Iwai,” he said firmly, like a school teacher calling a student out to smack them with a ruler.  
  
A man at least ten years Akira’s senior and a whole head taller than him stepped up. He had closely cropped hair and a gecko tattoo curling up his neck. He was the most experienced gunner, and the second most skilled. Akira considered him a reliable man, but he couldn’t have even reliable men doubting leadership.  
  
Akira stared Iwai down, eyes locked with his for a good few moments, then his molten gaze softened, and he offered a small smile, eyes crinkling. “You can come ashore with us, if it will sate your concerns.”  
  
Iwai crossed his arms and gave a small scoff, “If you say so.”  
  
Akira adjusted his gloves again, finding them a touch too ill-fitting on his hands, “I do. Go get dressed in something that isn’t covered in gunpowder. You wouldn’t want to stand out, now.”  
  
Then Akira turned on his heel, striding back towards his quarters. “Remember to get your lists from Hifumi, we don’t want another fiasco with uncoordinated purchases.”  
  
As Akira walked, Makoto and Ryuji fell in step beside him, Makoto fighting with the ruffles of her hoop skirt as Ryuji struggled with his ascot.  
  
“At times, I forget how frighteningly commanding you can be,” Makoto stated.  
  
“Yeah man, the hell did Iwai do to make you scare us like that?” Ryuji asked, pausing as his hand got stuck in his tie.  
  
Akira spun the elf towards him and untied his ascot, smiling at him softly as he re-fastened it properly. “No need to concern yourself over it, Ryuji.”  
  
Ryuji huffed, tipping his head up to let his friend properly fix the tie. “Yeah well, you ain’t gotta stand up for me or nothin’, you know. I already heard em talking about how much I stick out.”  
  
“You just look unique,” Akira replied, “We only got discovered once, and that was just as much Haru and my fault as yours.”  
  
Ryuji chuckled a little, one ear flicking. “Yeah… that woman has a real short fuse sometimes, almost as short as mine.”  
  
“Just don’t stress over it, is all I’m saying,” Akira replied, “besides, you’re going to be with Makoto anyway, you’re a responsible pair.”  
  
Makoto cleared her throat.  
  
“Makoto makes you a responsible pair,” Akira amended.  
  
“I still think calling Iwai out like that was a bit much,” Makoto stated plainly.  
  
“Think what you’d like,” Akira replied, “I think he needs to learn to trust our crew a little more. Same goes for Hifumi. The lady may have been an upper class citizen, but she needs to understand that not everyone needs to act proper to masquerade as a normal civilian. Haru understands.”  
  
“Haru beheaded her ex-fiance,” Makoto replied.  
  
“Exactly,” Akira nodded, “she gets it.”  
  
“No-”  
  
“I need to grab some gold from the chest,” Akira interrupted, changing the subject. “how much do you think? Fifty per person should cover it, yeah? We don’t want to be walking around with too much at a time.”  
  
Makoto sighed wearily, “Yes. Fifty should be just fine, Captain.”  
  
“Are you givin’ the kids that too?” Ryuji asked, fiddling with his now fixed ascot.  
  
Akira shook his head, “They get ten each, enough to pick themselves out a nice couple trinkets. I’ll leave it to Haru to keep an eye on them.”  
  
The three settled into business talks after that, organizing funds and getting the crew together to split them into those who’d be going ashore and those who would guard the ship. With a good ten people chosen, along with the two younger boys, Akira led everyone onto the docks.  
  
Akira, as usual, hung back on his own while the others split off in groups. He sent Iwai with Haru and the children, figuring he would be good at watching after them, since his own boy was with them too. Besides, Haru needed a man with her to avoid unwanted approaches. It wasn’t that the woman couldn’t handle herself, if anything she handled herself TOO well. Akira’s nerves and Ryuji’s bad leg just couldn’t handle another quick escape from Haru chopping off wandering hands.  
  
Akira sighed shortly, taking a look over his own small list as he debated whether he wanted to leave the sandy shore for the market straight away. He glanced back towards the sea, thinking how inviting the waves looked, washing up over the white sands that ran along and below the docks. His eyes trailed along the vessels docked along the beach, noting that quite a few of them were official Navy vessels. He sneered, thinking what a shame it was that such a lovely view should be ruined by the looming presence of government ships. Lion’s head was where the Navy’s base was settled, but it didn’t stop Akira from wishing the ships weren’t there.  
  
He was about to turn back towards the wood and stone path that led into town when something caught his eye; a gleam of gold, sparkling bright and foreign against the side of one of the Navy ships. Akira squinted in its direction, but was unable to tell what the hell it could be. Part of him wanted to venture closer, but he’d been standing around long enough that one or two navy officers were already eyeing him. So he just offered a grin and turned, walking briskly off.  
  
\---  
  
Upon reaching the market, Akira took in a breath of the fishy air and looked down the cobblestone path at the rows and rows of stalls and tents, all with merchants calling out to passerby, trying to peddle their wares. Butchers, fishermen, jewelers, and even the occasional elf trying to sell magical charms. Akira slipped quietly through the crowds, striding along with the confidence of a noble in a crowd of nervous commoners. In a way, he figured he kind of was. A rich man of the sea, so what if he didn’t make his coin honestly? It wasn’t like politicians did either.  
  
He wove between people, ignoring most of the merchant stands as he instead took in the scenery. It had been a good few months since they’d been on shore, and as much as Akira loved the freedom of sailing on the open waves, sometimes it felt nice to just have solid earth under his feet. He twirled in a slow circle, dodging a young woman in a fancy dress as he took in the treetops framing the bright morning skyline. He must not have been paying quite as much attention to his surroundings as he thought, however, as he found himself stumbling over someone and smacking against the cobblestone path.  
  
“Ugh,” he groaned, pushing himself up and rubbing his sore cheek, “Sorry, I should really watch where I’m headed more careful-”  
  
He was cut off with a swift jab to the gut that had him doubling over and clutching his stomach. He coughed and looked up sharply, meeting the eye of a naval officer. Akira couldn’t make out the man’s face from the glare of the sun, but the blue coat with a fine golden embroidery told Akira this man was a captain.  
  
“Damn right you should watch where you’re headed,” the Naval officer sneered.  
  
Akira’s eyes flashed with rage, his fingers itching to slip his dagger from his pocket and silence this man where he stood. But if he killed a man this powerful, he’d have no chance at any sort of escape. He was no fool, no matter what his heart burned for, he had enough wits about him to stay his hand. He pushed himself to his feet, moving to just silently walk away, but the other man didn’t seem satisfied with that.  
  
A strong hand grabbed Akira’s upper arm, spinning him around to face the point of a rapier. He grit his teeth, fighting to maintain his composure as the man’s face was pulled into a disgustingly good view. Filthy aristocrat. Or at least Akira could assume he was. Navy captains were as good as princes around these parts. Too much authority, too much money, too much time on their filthy, tainted hands.  
  
“You owe me a proper apology, rat,” the captain snarled, his amber eyes held the kind of monstrous quality Akira had come to associate with nobility.  
  
Akira held his tongue, eyeing the blade and wondering if the man was sure enough of himself to slit his throat right there and leave him to die. No, his power might be great, but it wasn’t absolute. He couldn’t get away with a cold blooded murder in the streets. At worst, Akira would get a beating out of this, and it wasn’t like he couldn’t handle that.  
  
He met the man’s eye, raising both hands innocently, then spat in his face. Akira took great pleasure in watching the man’s eyes widen to the point they looked ready to pop out. He let go of Akira to swipe his sleeve over his face, hissing curses. The two officers with him were quick to draw their own weapons and command Akira halt, but the pirate was quick and agile, and in the time it took for them to draw their weapons, he had already vaulted over one of the shorter merchant stalls and taken off.  
  
He landed in a roll and was on his feet in seconds, making his way at a brisk walk along the crowded path. He shoved his hands in his pockets and kept his head low, heart racing as he prayed the dozens of bodies around him would keep him concealed.  
  
He could hear the faint calls of naval officers behind him, but not _that_ faint, meaning slowing down certainly wasn’t in his best interest. He saw Makoto as he hurried on by, and shot her a lopsided, apologetic grin. The look on her face told him she was going to beat him to death later.  
  
He heard someone call out, having spotted him, and Akira broke into a run. He made a sharp left and pushed between two merchant stalls before reaching a row of tents. He took a risk and burst into the first one he spotted, spinning on his heel and yanking the waving flaps shut behind him.  
  
He quickly righted himself, clearing his throat and trying to act like he wasn’t hiding from anyone. He let go of the tent flaps and turned, meeting the eye of a middle aged man sitting behind a table. He looked at the pirate with one quizzically raised eyebrow. Akira gave an awkward, crooked smile, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking around. “Nice um... nice stall, you have here.”  
  
“Son, you’ve got about three seconds to explain before I kick you out on your ass,” the shop owner returned with a gruff voice.  
  
Akira glanced anxiously towards the tent flaps, he could hear the heavy, brisk footsteps of the navy men not too far off. He looked back at the merchant and figured he may as well risk an explanation.  
  
“I spit in the face of some bald Navy captain,” he said bluntly, “and now I’m trying to avoid getting arrested.”  
  
The merchant looked back at him, face entirely blank, before he let out a short, sharp bark of a laugh. He shook his head and said, “Only one bald Navy captain I know of, you’re lucky I hate that man.” He nodded back towards himself, patting the table with one hand. “You can hide over here. But you better hurry, I don’t plan on covering for you if they spot you.”  
  
Akira brightened, racing over and leaping over the wood. The table had a closed front with a sign hanging down from it, meaning there was a nice little cubby on the merchant’s side, one Akira could just squeeze himself into. He looked up at the man from his hiding spot, smiling a bit, “I owe you.”  
  
The man motioned for Akira to be quiet, and the pirate heard the tent flaps being thrown roughly open. Heavy boots approached the table, and a firm voice asked, “Has anyone come in here in the past few minutes?”  
  
“No one seems to want what I got to sell,” the merchant sighed heavily, “I haven’t seen a customer all damn day.”  
  
The two officers spoke in hushed tones, and then one said, “As you were, old man.”  
  
Akira heard footsteps retreating, and the merchant glanced down, giving Akira a mischievous smirk. The pirate returned the expression. He shifted to crawl back out from under the table, and accidentally bumped a shelf full of strange trinkets, knocking it all over.  
  
“Oh shit-” Akira spun around, still crouched, and started hurriedly picking the items up.  
  
“Jeez, careful with that stuff!” The merchant huffed, kneeling down to pick things up.  
  
Akira set everything carefully back on the shelf, pausing as he spotted something he’d missed, burnt orange and tucked in the shadow of the table. He grabbed it, only to recoil, dropping it into a patch of sun as it scraped his hand.  
  
“Ow! Fuck, what the hell..?” he looked at his hand, seeing the white cotton torn through, and the skin of his thumb lightly scuffed up.  
  
He looked down at the little orange thing again, only to have to squint as it reflected the line of sun filtering into the tent back up at him. It looked like a giant fish scale. It was nearly the size of his palm, a brown stripe cutting across half of it, the other half burning an iridescent orange in the sun.  
  
The merchant scooped his hand under it, carefully placing it back on the shelf. “You’re damn lucky you didn’t damage it. I would’ve called those officers right back in here,” he grumbled.  
  
“Sorry…” Akira said, looking back down at his hand. “It felt like a shark scale, but… last I checked, those don’t exactly glow in the light.”  
  
“You’re damn nosy for a kid on the run,” the merchant replied.  
  
Akira pushed himself to his feet and dusted off his pants, “A bad habit, I suppose. You’re awfully closed off for a-” Akira paused, looking around at the tent, taking in the fishing decor and assortment of strange jewelry and ocean trinkets, “… what kind of merchant are you, anyway?”  
  
The man sighed heavily, motioning for Akira to get out from behind his table. “Sojiro. I fish, and sometimes I sell trinkets I make. That scale’s none of your business, and you’re testing my patience. That enough information for you?”  
  
Akira carefully climbed back over the table and began walking around, looking at what the man actually had to sell. His eyes landed on a pair of earrings, fashioned out of the same kind of rough scale as the larger one. He picked one up carefully, holding it up to a trickle of light filtering through the edge of the tent. It lit up, a burning ember in his hand, cold as ice and rough as sandpaper.  
  
“No, actually,” he turned to face the man, holding the earring out. “How much for this mermaid scales?”  
  
Sojiro’s eyes widened slightly, and he replied, “Most folks can’t tell a mermaid’s scale from a shiny fish scale. What makes you think that’s what it is?”  
  
“I grew up a merchant, the folks had me gutting more sharks than I could count, I think I’d know a real shark scale from this,” Akira replied evenly. “And I’ve heard the stories, we all have. Mermaids that glow like a beacon of light, luring in curious adventurers with their shine and lovely voices… I had no idea any lived ‘round these shores, though.”  
  
Sojiro chuckled quietly. “Two hundred silver and it’s yours. What’s a pirate like you even want with such a thing?” he asked it so casually, like it was so obvious that it wasn’t even up for debate, it took Akira off guard a little.  
  
“... Pirate? I’m sure I have no idea-”  
  
“Save it, kid. These old eyes might not be what they used to, but I can still tell a common merchant from a man of the sea,” Sojiro cut him off.  
  
Akira dug around in his pocket, pulling out two gold pieces, equivalent to about a thousand silver, and tossed them to the man. Sojiro caught them, looking surprised.  
  
“A thank you for your kindness,” Akira said simply. He saluted with two fingers, turned, and headed back out of the tent.  
  
Akira looked down at the little scale earrings in his palm, tilting and turning them, watching how they caught and refracted the light. He had been trying to place it for the past few minutes, unable to figure out why the blinding shine felt so familiar when he’d never personally seen a mermaid before. It took him another few minutes of walking down the rows of shops before it clicked.  
  
The golden light coming from the side of that Navy vessel.  
  
But there was no way, was there? What use would the Navy have for a mermaid? And more importantly, why wouldn’t it be dead or hidden away, rather than sitting somewhere out in the open air?  
  
Akira thought of the Navy captain again, the cruel look in his eye, the power-hungry way he presented himself, and decided maybe it was worth investigating. Akira tipped his head, removing his plain gold earrings and replacing them with the shimmering tiger shark mermaid scales. He was quiet the whole walk back to the docks, just mulling over how he’d even fathomably get close enough to the ship to confirm his suspicions.  
  
He paused at a little sitting area just before the docks, a well worn stone path lined with a handful of benches. A smattering of people were loitering about, women fanning themselves as they rested their feet, men talking amongst one another, the occasional child playing in the dirt, and one lone naval officer. The man looked to be around Akira’s age, mid twenties at the oldest, and his plain navy coat with simple black buttons told Akira this was just an ordinary crewman. One in hundreds, an easily interchangeable face that most people probably didn’t even know. A grin spread across Akira’s features.  
  
The pirate strode forward, moving quick enough to sell a panicked act, and put on his best frantic expression as he ran up to the sailor. “Sir? A-are you an officer? Please, it’s urgent.”  
  
The other man startled, looking at Akira in concern, “Oh I um, yes sir I am. I’m not all that high ranking though, if it’s that important, I can always get-”  
  
“Pirates!” Akira exclaimed, “I-I can’t be sure, but I thought I saw a pirate ship by the southern shore! Is your captain around? You need to come check, please!”  
  
The young man extended his hands in a ‘calm down’ gesture, eyeing the nearby civilians nervously. Akira’s exclamation had caught the attention of a few of them, and they were now exchanging nervous glances and whispers. The officer nodded briskly. “I’ll come see, sir, but please don’t panic now. The captain would never let pirates infiltrate here.”  
  
Akira nodded quickly, turning and hurrying off to the south. “Thank you, it’s this way, I know he’s strong enough to handle it, of course he is! I just swear, I saw them out on the horizon, what kind of ships do pirates sail? I thought it was that kind…”  
  
Akira kept up his anxious rambling, not stopping until the officer was safely hidden behind the bushes that lined the southern shore. The cool waves lapped at their feet as the officer leaned forward, squinting out into the crystal clear, entirely empty ocean.  
  
“Are you sure it was here..? I don’t see any pirates, sir, or anyone at all for that matter-”  
  
The sound of a weapon cocking had the young officer stilling, turning very slowly to look over his shoulder. Akira had the muzzle of a revolver pressed to his back, a broad grin on his face, “Check again, friend.”  
  
\---  
  
Twenty minutes later, Akira was adjusting the cuffs of the blue frock coat, quite pleased with himself as he strode right towards the Navy vessel where he’d spotted the gold glimmer. He nodded to the officers standing guard, meekly tipping his head down as he passed. They didn’t question him, just as he’d hoped, and he was able to walk his way right on deck.  
  
He looked to the left and right, spotting no crew. They must all be busy below deck or on shore, he’d gotten incredibly lucky. Akira hurriedly made his way to the side of the boat, peering over the edge without honestly expecting much. He was sure the chances of an actual mermaid being caught up in some net slung over the edge of the boat were incredibly slim, his insatiable curiosity had just gotten the best of him.  
  
He froze, however, when the first thing he saw were a pair of glimmering red eyes, wide and dark with cat-slit pupils, staring right back at him.  
  
“Holy fuck,” Akira breathed, unable to do anything other than try and comprehend.  
  
He’d never seen one in person before, but even he could tell the creature didn’t look well. A golden tail full of reflective gold scales was bunched up at an awkward angle in the thick net, forcing the mermaid into this uncomfortable looking scrunched up sitting position. The fish man’s skin was milky white, pallid and sickly looking. The same gold scales freckled his cheeks, providing the only semblance of color against his face. Finned ears were pressed down flush against a head of damp, tangled brown hair, and the creature was breathing shallowly, clearly in pain. The look in his eyes was defiant, and the second he saw Akira, he bared his razor teeth, lips curling back to show off the knife-sharp points.  
  
Akira took in all of this, the aggression on the mermaid’s face, the way his sunset scaled hands pressed harshly into the netting, sharp claws cracked and broken from where he’d clearly failed to tear through his confines, the unsettling crackling of his tail as sun-dried scales were dragged against the ropes with every slight shift. The conclusion here was clear.  
  
Akira reached into the Navy coat, drawing his dagger and leaning over the edge of the ship. It didn’t matter to him how the mermaid got in this position, or what the Navy thought they were doing with him, it was sickening. Akira already hated the Navy, their officers were brutal and selfish, and their captains were power hungry and cruel. Seeing this only made him despise them even more. Maybe they thought they’d caught themselves some kind of trophy; well, Akira was more than happy to take that triumph from them.  
  
The blade gleamed in the afternoon sun, and the mermaid’s reaction was instantaneous. He thrashed about in the net, dry scales tearing and tattered tailfin tearing further, dripping fresh blood over ropes Akira was only just noticing were already coated in the stuff.  
  
The pirate reached out, managing to grab onto the top of the net where it was attached to some kind of pulley system. “Stop thrashing! I’m freeing you!” he said firmly, trying to slice the moving ropes and only ending up nicking his own palm.  
  
The mermaid slowed in his movements, breaths heavy, ears fanning out a bit. His expression was wary and distrusting, but Akira was sure he could recognize he had no other choice here.  
  
“If you come any closer with that blade, I’ll make you regret it.”  
  
At first, Akira wasn’t sure who spoke. He looked quickly over his shoulder, but when he saw no one there, he realized the hoarse words had come from the mermaid. He looked back down at him, eyebrows arched in surprise. He pulled the net closer and began cutting through the top, sawing away at the surprisingly tough rope.  
  
“You can speak, then?” Akira asked, trying to sound like that fact didn’t completely blow him away. Of all the tales he’d heard of mermaids, he’d never heard of them being able to talk.  
  
The mermaid didn’t reply, however. He merely snarled up at the pirate, clearly not in the mood for Akira’s curious questions.  
  
Then Akira heard a voice that was definitely NOT the mermaid’s call out, “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!”  
  
Akira whipped around, releasing the net from his grip as he turned the knife on whoever was approaching. Unluckily for him, it was actually three someones, and none of them looked very happy to see him cutting their prize loose.  
  
Akira took a few hasty steps back, knees hitting the edge of the ship, “You wouldn’t believe I was ordered to cut the mermaid loose, would you?”  
  
The men drew their rifles, which Akira took as a no. He slipped his revolver from its holster, whipping it out from beneath his coat and firing once, hitting one of the men in the gut. The officer let out a sharp grunt, stumbling back with both arms wrapped around his middle. The other two men lifted their weapons, but before they could fire back, ending Akira’s foolish life, the pirate felt cold, clammy claws wrap around his throat.  
  
Akira’s heart leapt into his throat, unsure if he should be more frightened of the naval officers pointing rifles at him, or the monstrous creature whose fangs he could feel pressed into the nape of his neck. Akira was certain that no matter how he spun this, it would only end in death for him, but then, to his surprise, he felt the mermaid’s arm slide up and over his chest, and just kind of rest there.  
  
“I don’t intend to let you die before I’ve secured my freedom,” the mermaid growled against his skin.  
  
Selfish reason or not, Akira was more than grateful to not be dead. He saw the way the officers stalled, eyes wide, like they were waiting for the mermaid to tear Akira apart, or else somehow burst forth and kill them.  
  
Akira took a breath, trying to calm his racing heart, and turned around in the mermaid’s grasp, reaching up and shakily going back to cutting the ropes. There were only two left, he was sure he could get it done quickly, but he wasn’t sure how long he had until the shock wore off and the officers just shot them both.  
  
The mermaid was pressed at an even more awkward angle now, his top half forced through the opening Akira had already made, arms wrapped around the pirate, his tail and fins too long and thick to squeeze out of the netting. The golden tail with sunset fins flailed around helplessly in the ropes, getting more blood and scales everywhere as Akira fought to maintain his composure and finish cutting the creature free.  
  
He heard the guns click again, and his heart slammed into his ribs. The mermaid’s arms curled more tightly around him, he could feel the breath on his neck. Just one more rope…  
  
As soon as the fishing net fell loose, The mermaid’s thrashing tail managed to throw the whole thing off, sending it sailing down into the turbulent waves far below. Akira felt the full weight of the creature on him now, since the pulley was no longer supporting any of his weight.  
  
Akira tried to pull free, but the mermaid held tight, his hefty weight was more than enough to yank Akira right over the edge with him, sending both plummeting down as shots rang out a second too late.  
  
Akira felt like he was falling for an eternity, cold claws dug into his back, the waves below looked about as inviting as a noose, and was sure to be just as dire. Akira squeezed his eyes shut and took in a breath just before the icy depths enveloped him.  
  
Akira was a strong swimmer, certainly, but he’d just fallen from a ship nearly the height of a whale. And it was barely springtime, so the waves were still far too cold for any sane man to take a dip. Akira could feel himself going into shock in the first few seconds, his muscles seizing in the frigid water, fighting against him as he tried to push back to the surface. He felt dizzy, his brain screamed for him to breathe, but he was so disoriented that he couldn’t even tell if he was above or below the waves.  
  
He felt something large bump against his side, then something sharp cut through the cold numbness settling into his bones. He tried to twist around, to kick and get free, afraid the freed mermaid was going to claim him as an easy meal now that he was free. He felt the claws sink harder into his skin, and a voice through the water, burbly and wavering, but still clear enough.  
  
“Stop _thrashing._ ”  
  
Akira stopped, out of confusion and lack of energy more than anything else. His lungs screamed for air, and the water spun around him, like he was a wheel unhinged from its cart and tumbling down a steep hill. He felt the water around him rushing quickly down, and suddenly he was thrust to the surface, being thrown violently from the water and onto the white sandy shore north of the docks. Akira’s body hit the sand, and, registering vaguely that it meant he was on land, he gasped for air.  
  
His limbs were trembling, too weak and cold to hold him up. He just barely managed to push himself up enough to throw up what felt like a gallon of sea water. He wasn’t even sure when he’d swallowed any water.  
  
A noise next to him alerted him that he wasn’t alone, but he was too weak to turn around and look. Strong hands grabbed him by the arm, yanking him onto his side. He curled up immediately, trembling and struggling to make his brain catch up with him. He looked up to see the mermaid he’d freed, sitting awkwardly half on the shore and half in the water. The creature curled his lip again, sharp teeth shining, and he reached out and slapped Akira.  
  
The pirate recoiled, glaring up at the fish man, “H-hey now, I f-free you and y-you hit m-me?” he managed to stutter out.  
  
“Weak,” the mermaid replied, sounding disgusted. “Stop trembling. Weak.” He slapped Akira again, and Akira realized that maybe he thought this was helping.  
  
“S-stop it!” Akira snapped, the best he could through chattering teeth, “I n-need to warm up, n-not get f-fucking smacked!”  
  
The mermaid blinked slowly, gave him one more slap for good measure, and then dove back into the ocean. Akira groaned, head thudding against the sand. He would’ve much rather died in a shoot out or being eaten by a mermaid over hypothermia. Granted, he knew the cold probably wouldn’t kill him at this time of year, but the shock to his system sure wasn’t pleasant, and a man lying helplessly on a secluded shore was a pretty easy target for all sorts of criminals and creatures.  
  
He took a minute to try and get his bearings. He could just make out the navy vessel in the distance, meaning the mermaid had swam far right, further away from Akira’s own ship. The pirate greatly appreciated the fact he hadn’t been left to drown, but he knew no one was going to find him this far away from the docks. There was nothing but rocks and sparse trees this far north of the market, none of his crew would ever think to look here.  
  
Akira sighed and closed his eyes, figuring he may as well rest, since there was nothing else to be done. He thought maybe this was worth it though, not just seeing a mermaid, but actually helping one. He’d freed the predatory creature AND pissed off the Navy, and really, was there anything better than that?  
  
\---  
  
The pirate wasn’t sure when exactly he’d drifted off, or for how long, but when he awoke, it was to something incredibly warm being shoved against him. He grunted in confusion, eyes cracking open. A sun-warmed rock about the size of a pillow was being nudged against him. He squinted up in confusion, seeing the mermaid had returned.  
  
“Go on then, pathetic,” the fish man scoffed, “a little cold water is enough to do you in? Perhaps I’ve been exerting too much effort in killing your kind, if you’re all truly this weak.”  
  
Akira shifted against the rock, finding it _was_ pleasantly warm. He could feel the heat of it slowly seeping into his trembling muscles, and eagerly pressed his torso and arms against it.  
  
“...you’re being awfully generous for a creature who seems intent on murdering me. Or do you just not like cold food?” Akira quipped, finding his voice, at least, had mostly returned to normal.  
  
“Don’t flatter yourself,” the mermaid snipped, “You saved my life. I’m not without morals. I’m merely returning the favor, so I don’t owe you a damn thing after this.”  
  
“You didn’t owe me before, I don’t work like that,” Akira replied, slowly flexing his fingers.  
  
“Yeah right,” the mermaid scoffed, “humans are all the same. You all want _something._ Well, you won’t get anything more than this. You can’t hold it over my head now that I’ve returned the favor, so whatever you were aiming to get from me, you won’t.”  
  
Akira stretched his arms, finding them just warmed enough to move. He began unbuttoning his soaked top, sure he could warm up faster if he got the drenched clothes off. “I only wanted to be a nuisance to the Navy captain,” Akira said truthfully. “Besides, I can’t stand when those with power hurt the defenseless, it’s cowardly.  
  
The mermaid’s tail slapped aggressively against the shallow waves, “I am NOT defenseless! I merely got unlucky.”  
  
Akira sighed as he pushed his top off, throwing the sopping cloth aside and pressing his bare chest against the warm rock. It felt _wonderful._ “Mm...it’s not like I’m judging you. They had you at their mercy, I couldn’t just stand by and let that keep happening.”  
  
“You don’t know anything,” the mermaid hissed, “And I would have gotten loose on my own, you just happened to be more convenient.”  
  
“You tore up your tail,” Akira replied, nodding to the creature’s golden scales.  
  
The mermaid lifted his tail slightly, his tailfin was torn up like fringe, but the heavy scarring and fresh blood meant Akira could tell it wasn’t _supposed_ to be fringe. Aside from that, Akira could see bald spots on the mermaid’s tail, places where the scales had been rubbed off entirely, leaving the raw, pink flesh exposed and bloody beneath.

“It’ll heal,” the mermaid replied dismissively, letting his tail flop back into the shallow sea. “What’s it matter to you, anyway?”  
  
“If you need help-”  
  
“No!” the mermaid yelled, claws digging into the sand beneath him. “I won’t accept a damn thing more from you, you aren’t going to take advantage of me.”  
  
Akira blinked slowly, adjusting so he could push the icy cold trousers off his legs. “I don’t want anything from you, other than a request that you don’t kill me, I suppose. Is it that hard to believe I might want to help out of the kindness of my heart?”  
  
The mermaid paused, eyes sweeping over Akira once before landing on his face again. “... Yes. Humans don’t do things to be kind. They do them to gain control. I won’t be controlled.”  
  
Akira rolled onto his back, closing his eyes as he let the sun warm his bare skin. He thought maybe he should be a little more cautious, what with the vicious murdering creature sitting next to him, but he was pretty sure he’d be dead by now if the mermaid wanted.  
  
“I won’t be controlled either,” Akira replied, “I do what I want, and I wanted to cut you loose. I just wish I could see that Navy captain’s face when he sees his catch is gone and one of his officers is shot.”  
  
There was silence for a moment, and then the mermaid replied, “Commodore.”  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“That man is a Commodore. And you’ll be dead in the water in the blink of an eye if he can ever put your face to what happened today.”  
  
“How do you know about ship ranks?” Akira questioned, propping himself up on his elbows.  
  
“None of your damn business,” the mermaid replied. Akira figured he should have expected as much.  
  
Akira shrugged, dropping the question. “That’s fine. But hey, you got a name? Or will I be calling you ‘goldie’ in my head forever?”  
  
The mermaid gave a disgusted snort, “It’s Goro. And if you call me ‘goldie’ again, I won’t hesitate to tear out your throat.  
  
Akira hummed in acknowledgment, “Goro… I’m Akira. I feel like meeting you was some kind of rare honor.”  
  
Goro rolled his eyes. “You’re a foolish man. Don’t expect this level of mercy from me again.”  
  
“I won’t, Goro,” Akira smiled, “Though, if I could see you again…”  
  
“If our paths cross again, I’ll flay your body and eat your heart,” Goro retorted coldly.  
  
“It’s a date,” Akira replied, eyes crinkling with his smile. He knew Goro was probably serious, but he couldn’t help himself.  
  
Akira kept up his flirty grin, even as the mermaid didn’t reply. The big fish man turned and dove back into the sea without so much as a goodbye. He watched until those golden scales were out of sight, then relaxed back against the sand.  
  
Akira lay there for a bit longer, letting the sun work his muscles out of their tense, cramped state as he waited for his clothes to dry. He felt like he’d reasonably be able to make it back to his ship now, even if he’d have a lot of explaining to do when he returned.  
  
This near death experience had been more than worth it, and despite Goro’s venomous words, the pirate absolutely hoped their paths would cross again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artwork by the amazing spaceteacake!  
> [On Twitter](https://twitter.com/spaceteacake_/status/1350322035331796998?s=20)
> 
> [On Tumblr](https://spaceteacake.tumblr.com/post/640444971578703872/so-i-was-part-of-the-goro-big-bang-and-i-had-the)


	2. Molten Silver

The first dip beneath the waves was rough, the turbulence of wind on the surface rocking the water just beneath. Goro felt the relentless flow of disturbed water fighting against his tail. It wouldn’t be such a battle to descend if his tail weren’t in such a sorry state. Propelling himself was quite the trick with his caudal fin creating next to no resistance.    
  
Water passed uselessly through the tattered strands, picking up little to no speed as Goro found himself having to roll and weave his whole body just to get some kind of momentum.  _ That man _ thought destroying his fin would keep him from being able to survive on his own, thought it would hold Goro captive even if he managed to escape. Well the joke was on him. All it ever did was make Goro angrier, and more determined to prove he was stronger than that damn human could ever fathom.   
  
He sank further down, until the sunlit shallows turned a cool, comfortable blue. A sapphire sea, filled with corals and large, mossy rocks that stood tall and welcoming. It took him the better part of an hour to make it back to his territory, by which point he was starting to feel the ache in his bones.. His tail was mangled and stung with each push forward, and he was shocked the clouds of blood left in the wake of his awkward thrashing swim hadn’t attracted sharks.   
  
Goro reached out to the first plant he spotted, scaled claws fading from burnt red to an almost navy blue as the sunlight retreated from them. He gripped the fat yellow coral, using it to pull himself forward, his tail still waving and working to create some kind of momentum. As he passed under an outcropping of rock, the gold faded from his tail, replaced by the void black that remained when untainted by light. Clouds of red still floated off of his raw pink flesh, leaving a trail of metallic scent as he pushed along.   
  
The mermaid pulled himself over a craggy outcropping, finding himself in front of another sandbank. He looked around, trying to recall which direction home was, when a low vibration in the water caught his attention. He twirled around, heart jumping into his throat, just in time to see the tiger striped tail of another mermaid passing overhead.    
  
His panic softened into recognition, and he returned a soft trilling sound that carried through the water. The way mermaids greeted each other wasn’t unlike the way dolphins communicated, he supposed. His half sister, a tiger shark girl with hair brighter than her fins, shot down, swirling around him in a dizzying orange blur. She screeched an off-key note of a song and grabbed both his hands in hers, calming down enough to say, “You had me worried sick! I’ve been trilling for like, two hours!”   
  
Goro winced slightly at the note, thinking that some mermaids really should stay away from Sirenspeak. It took a minute for him to register her words, and once he did, he looked down in shame. “Well, you had nothing to worry over, I’ve returned haven’t I?”   
  
Futaba scooted back a pace, looking him up and down before raising one eyebrow, “You look like trash.”   
  
Goro scoffed, yanking his hands out of hers and crossing his arms, “I’m perfectly fine. I just went hunting, you know it takes me longer to get around.”   
  
Futaba grabbed his tail, making him yelp. “Your scales are flaking off! This looks AWFUL. You got caught again!”   
  
Goro groaned, too weak to pull his tail out of her little claws without potentially injuring himself further. Futaba puffed her cheeks out, glaring at him. “What was it this time, huh? Pirates? Poachers? Or was it…”   
  
She trailed off when Goro looked away. She didn’t say anything after that. She dropped his tail and swam up, hooking one of his arms around her shoulders. There was only one human the two agreed unequivocally that they hated with all their hearts. Only one man who could possibly make Goro feel fear, or make Futaba believe evil humans existed.   
  
With Futaba’s strong shark tail propelling them along, the two made it home within minutes. She was a solid, fast swimmer, and no humans had scarred her tail, luckily. Goro was grateful every day that she had escaped his fate. He tried not to think too hard about it, tried to focus on the schools of tropical fish and the vibrant coral gardens they passed by.    
  
He didn’t fully succeed in distracting himself, but a family of clownfish pushing their way out of their little anemone homes did remind him how hungry he was. He hadn’t eaten all day, and he had to admit that the human earlier had been tempting. If he hadn’t just saved Goro, the mermaid likely would’ve had himself a good lunch instead of being  _ moral  _ and helping the useless fucker out.   
  
“Do we have any fish at home?” Goro asked, the first time he’d spoken the whole way.   
  
Futaba hummed in thought, shifting to try and keep her sandpaper scales from rubbing against his already damaged tail. “I don’t think so.”   
  
Goro sighed, “That’s fine. We’ll go hunting again soon.”   
  
“Uh, we? Maybe you didn’t notice, but your tail looks like it went through a metal spinner!”   
  
“A grinder?”   
  
“Yeah!” Futaba huffed, bunting her head against him as they swam, “What even happened? Lemme guess, you were in a net, and instead of staying calm, you freaked out and made things way worse than they would have been. Is that about right?”   
  
Goro puffed out a stream of bubbles, watching them rise for a moment before answering, “How are you supposed to get out of a net without thrashing?”   
  
“Claws! Teeth! A human sharpy!” Futaba protested, exasperated.    
  
“A  _ knife, _ ” Goro amended. “And…” he hesitated, should he tell her the truth? She was so smart she’d probably figure out he hadn’t gotten away on his own anyway. And he  _ did  _ want to tell her about the uniquely odd human…   
  
“And..?” Futaba pressed, stopping outside a tall grouping of soft coral and shimmering sea grass. The little hideaway they’d managed to turn into their home.   
  
Goro waited to respond until they were inside, wincing as the spines of the coral brushed his raw tail. The inside of their home was just a small clearing surrounded by the tall plants, with a roof of hand-woven kelp balanced on the stronger coral formations.   
  
Goro sighed and finally said, “and… a knife WAS what finally cut through the net.”   
  
Futaba gasped, pushing her way inside right after him. She pushed him lightly, “Go sit in your nest! And explain while I get the stuff!”   
  
Goro rolled his eyes, swimming to the back of the small space, where the nest of soft moss and sea grass that made up his resting area was. He settled carefully against the spongy plants, “if by ‘stuff’, you mean that sea-witch’s hoax of a slime, I don’t want it.”   
  
“It’s not a hoax! He makes good mixtures, even if his brain is like a loose clamshell…” Futaba shook her head and rolled a rock aside, revealing the small hole where they stored their favorite and most important items. “Tell me more about this knife thing though, what happened there?”   
  
Goro sighed heavily and shifted in his nest. He picked up one of the trinkets he kept next to it, a very smooth rock, and began turning it over in his hands. “Well… the knife belonged to a human. Futaba, a… a filthy  _ human  _ saved me. And I still don’t know why! The infuriating man was too busy dying of cold or whatever, and even when he warmed up, he tried to convince me it was out of some pitiful sense of  _ kindness. _ ”   
  
Futaba lifted a large clam out of the hole and paused, looking over in confusion. “Okay hang on, go back like… twenty steps.”   
  
Goro sighed heavily and started from the beginning, explaining to Futaba about the sailor, how he had appeared to be Navy, but likely wasn’t one of them since he hadn’t even known the man in charge was a Commodore, how he’d almost drowned, everything. Futaba listened while she took slime stored in the clam and applied the cool mixture to Goro’s tail, hanging on every word.   
  
When Goro finished recounting, leaving out the more upsetting bits involving his actual interactions with the Commodore, Futaba set the clam container aside and lay on the sand next to Goro’s nest, folding her arms on the edge of the moss and looking up at him. “So you got saved by a sexy man with dark hair and silver eyes? AND you got to see him naked? Lucky!”   
  
Goro flushed pink, eyes widening, “I-I am not sure how THAT’S what you took away from that story. He was human! And I’m ALWAYS naked, so how is a naked human any different?”   
  
Futaba motioned towards the seaweed wrapping her chest, and then to the front of Goro’s tail, “Uh, cause we’re still technically covered? Unless his dick was tucked-”   
  
“Futaba I am BEGGING you not to finish that thought,” Goro interrupted quickly, face reddening further. “He was… i-it doesn’t matter! We EAT people, it’s not like we don’t see plenty!”    
  
“Uh, we don’t eat the hot ones,” Futaba replied.   
  
“...If I didn’t have proof that we were related, I wouldn’t believe it,” Goro exhaled.   
  
“Mweheh, you can’t blame me for being curious! He sounds cool and sexy. You said he shot somebody, right? C’mon, that’s cool. And don’t you have a kill-on-sight policy? Huh? Why’d you let him live if you didn’t think he was smokin’?”   
  
Goro crossed his arms over his chest, face burning brighter, “I-I let him live because he saved me, obviously! It was a one time deal. If I see him again, I’m tearing his heart out. I even told him as much.”    
  
Goro hated to admit it, he never would aloud, but the human had been, for lack of a better term, hot as fuck. Maybe it was just the adrenaline from being freed, or a lapse in judgement due to his only friends being women, or maybe it had been the keen, passionate look in his eyes. Goro had, potentially, had trouble focusing properly when the human had started undressing. His skin was tanned and soft looking, muscles toned in that cute, pseudo-strong way some humans were. He had a pleasing look to him, and if Goro hadn’t been in a lot of pain and still angry as hell from being trapped, alright,  _ maybe  _ he would’ve wanted to touch him. But in the end he was still a filthy human, and he’d be dead for certain the next time he crossed paths with Goro.   
  
“Dunno bro bro, sounds like a cutie worth letting live!” Futaba remarked, grinning wickedly.   
  
Goro scoffed and turned onto his side, facing the gently swaying wall of grass and soft coral, “You’re insufferable. Leave me to suffer in silence.”   
  
Futaba gave a little giggle snort and gave Goro’s back a playful swipe, just sharp enough to feel, not to cut. She had told him that was how mermaids playfought and teased, and he had no reason to doubt her. He thought again how glad he was that she, at least, got to spend most of her formative years in the ocean. He had also been lucky she’d let him stay, that she’d not taken one look at his soft scales and torn fins and told him to leave. Even more impressive was how she’d taken the news of who he was in stride. She was nearly ten years younger, barely seventeen, and already he thought she was the strong one.    
  
Goro was jolted from his thoughts by thin arms wrapping around his waist, and a soft face pressing into his back. “I’m glad you’re safe,” Futaba whispered as though she meant it, as though she didn’t know the horrible things he had done.   
  
He rolled over and hugged her back, silent, pressing his face into her hair. He could still remember that day, a fisherman had said he was expecting Goro, and led him to her. He had told her as much as he thought she could handle, stopping at the fact they were related. The matter of her mother… was something he still didn’t know how to breach. He squeezed his half sister tight. He couldn’t help himself going to the surface, but he felt guilty; she must have been so scared.   
  
He wanted to apologize for worrying her, but it was meaningless when he knew he’d just be going straight back up there as soon as his tail healed. Before he could think of some other way to express his regret, she pulled back, looking up at him with her big, twinkling eyes, a look of determination on her face.   
  
“I’ve decided. Next time, I’m going with you!”   
  
Goro balked, pushing her away in shock, “Going with- absolutely not! I already dislike the fact you have human friends in that town, I  _ refuse  _ to let you anywhere near my mission! If you got caught, if you got hurt, I couldn’t-I-”   
  
“Goro!” Futaba snapped, smushing his face in her hands, “You’re already not built for fighting the way I am. You’re lucky poachers haven’t gotten you, or  _ worse _ . You think those stupid ropes can hold me? There’s a reason nobody ever has shark mermaid meat for sale!” She waggled her tail and smacked it lightly into him, making him wince. “Rough as broken coral! If I thrashed around in a net, my scales would just cut it all up, and the sun doesn’t burn me as easily either. I know you’re worried, but… I’m kinda in the better position here. You’re more at risk than… anyone.”   
  
Goro’s gills flared so hard that he sucked hair into them and gagged. He reached up, carefully pulling his hair away from his neck as he tried to quell his gut reaction. He knew she wasn’t calling him weak, she was just stating the truth. But it  _ hurt.  _ It made him  _ angry.  _ He wasn’t angry at her, though. No, he was angry at himself.   
  
He hadn’t even said anything, but he would see it in the furrow of her brow, she knew what he was thinking. She wiggled down a bit and playfully bumped her head against his chest. “You aren’t weak. And it’s not your fault how your tail is. We both know, being half human means-”   
  
“It’s alright,” Goro cut her off, his voice rife with mock gentleness, a thin veneer slathered over grief and frustration, “you don’t need to reassure me, you take care of me enough as it is.”   
  
Futaba smiled a bit, “Yeah right, we both know you’re the only one aggressive enough to keep others outta our territory. We take care of each other, equally. Don’t forget it!”   
  
Goro chuckled softly and patted her head, “I’ll try not to. Now, go get some sleep, we’ll find some food when we wake up.”    
  
Futaba gave him one last quick hug before darting off to her own nest, a bed of moss and underwater flora that was littered with shiny human trinkets she loved to collect. She settled down against the moss, a stream of bubbles escaping her gills in a tired sigh. She was out in seconds.   
  
Goro marveled at her ability to just pass out on command like that, it was a skill he honestly wished they shared. The mermaid rolled over, facing the wall of grass again, staring at its hypnotically dancing movements until his brain quieted enough to let him drift off.   
  
\---   
_  
_ _ At five years old, it was as if Goro suddenly awoke to his memory. The points before this were nothing but a disjointed blur, but there, in that moment, he began to fully register the world around him. He learned then to hate himself. His existence was a curse, nothing hurt more than being alive. But the electric prods in the water came close. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Some sort of taming tool, though it was really just an electric eel wrapped carefully around a stick. Goro had his little teeth bared, fins flaring, wide and bright. The fan of his tail was one magnificent piece, fluttering and bright behind him, trembling with the effort of trying to intimidate an enemy he couldn’t properly see. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ He hissed and let out a low warning trill, jaws open wide, backing up slowly as a hand descended into the water. Goro shot forward to attack, only to get slapped in the face with the electric eel device. He shrieked and shrank back, fins drooping as he darted to the corner of the water, an invisible wall stopping him from going any further. He wanted to hide, he felt scared, but the space around him was nothing but empty water and a thin layer of sand and gravel. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Hands reached in again, two this time, and Goro tried to press himself into the sand, trilling lowly in distress. He was suddenly pulled from the water, hands around his little waist, holding him out at arm’s length. He struggled against the thing holding him, not liking the air. He had to blink a few times, but the blurry surroundings slowly came into focus. The thing holding him was a man with no tail. A retched thing he didn’t yet know was called human. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “It will learn, I’m sure it’s smart enough to know its place,” the man holding him was saying. Goro didn’t understand. He didn’t know what it meant, even if he understood the words themselves. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ He didn’t like being held. The air was cold and dry. He wiggled harder, and when that failed to free him, his fins flared again and he hissed, raking his claws down the man’s arms. The man yelled in pain and shock, promptly dropping Goro onto the floor. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ The young mermaid hit the wood with a ‘thump’, even more confused and panicked down there. He pushed himself up on his arms and let out a horrific wail, a distress cry for his parent. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ This earned him a kick that send him rolling across the floor. He landed on his side, dazed and in pain and even more panicked. He screamed louder, not knowing anything else to do. Where was his mother? He needed help, where was she? _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “It’s just a baby!” a second man protested. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “It’s a monster,” the first snapped back, “it will learn quickly that unless it behaves, it gets hurt.” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Goro curled in on himself, his screams dying down to pained whimpers. He trilled lowly again, shaking, wanting his mother. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Unwanted. Unloved. It was the earliest memory he had. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ \--- _ _  
_ Goro woke with a distressed noise, quickly covering his mouth. He rolled over too fast, sending a shooting pain through his tail that forced another pained hiss out of him. Futaba hadn’t woken, good.   
  
He slowly pushed himself up, swimming quietly through the walls over their home. He couldn’t stand those dreams, but he couldn’t stand the thought of Futaba waking to him in distress either. He waited until he was free of their shared home, moving slowly and lethargically through the water until he found a solid outcropping of stone to curl up under.   
  
He lay on the sand and stared emptily into the sea, watching schools of fish as they swam aimlessly by. He didn’t cry. He was sure he’d run out of tears years ago. No matter how hard he tried to focus on anything else, the day’s events began playing in his head again.   
  
\---   
  
_ It had been his own fault. It was so easy to forget how brilliantly his tail gleamed when he’d spent so many years in the dark. The Navy ship had only to see the glitter in the distance and he was already done for.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ The ropes shooting into the water around him hadn’t been a surprise, the fact his teeth couldn’t rip through them, however, made him panic. He clawed at the thick, corded material until he felt his nails dull, the points either cracked off or worn down. The sharp movement of the water around him had been dizzying, nauseating. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ The cool embrace of the sea was torn from him, replaced by the cutting slap of a cold wind as the net was hoisted along the side of the ship. The crew who reeled him up had made the mistake of reeling the pulley all the way up, meaning Goro had only to reach out and grab the nearest one.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ The fierce mermaid might have been snagged in this trap, his tail bent uncomfortably and his claws already aching, but he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to keep lashing out until something changed. He was quite literally a cornered animal like this, and the first crewmate was an unfortunate sacrifice. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ His claws, even dulled, sank easily into the pliable flesh of the deck hand manning the pulley. Goro yanked him back as the net rocked slowly away from the ship. His strong hands dragged deep lines up the man’s neck, drawing a gurgling shriek from him. Goro let go of him for just long enough to adjust his grip, grabbing him around the waist and hugging him to his chest. He didn’t recognize this one, but the Commodore’s turnover rate was extraordinary, so that wasn’t a surprise. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Goro made eye contact with the crewmate still on board, the man was leaning over the side of the ship, mouth agape and eyes about bugging out of his skull. Goro had a feeling a lot of these newcomers weren’t too familiar with mermaids. The poor fool in his arms screamed for help as the net swung back closer, but his friend seemed to think better of reaching out when Goro bared his sharp teeth. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ The screaming drew a small crowd, older naval officers that Goro recognized, more he didn’t, and, finally, the man himself. Dressed in Navy cloth embroidered with the same golden sheen Goro’s tail took on in this hideous light. The Commodore locked eyes with Goro, his stoic face demanding Goro make his move. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Crewmates were yelling in fear and horror, several brave souls reached out for the man in Goro’s arms when the net swung close enough, but Goro was quick to scratch the delicate skin off the faces of anyone within swatting distance. The man with Goro continued to cry and scream, and the men on deck only earned new scars from their sorry attempts. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Goro hoisted the crewmate closer to himself, claws burying themselves into his ribs so hard the mermaid could feel blood beginning to trickle over his fingers. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “You claim to want freedom, say your kind has the RIGHT to live alongside us, and yet you’d treat an innocent man like this?” The Commodore spoke, his voice like honey to the flies that were his loyal crew.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ To Goro it just sounded like the poison it was. He opened his mouth wide, lifting the terrified man higher. He swept his gaze over the crew, their stilted gasps and the hilariously cowardly way some of them covered their eyes. The Commodore met his eye, unblinking, a silent command to release the so-called ‘innocent’. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Goro nuzzled his face against the sailor’s neck, breathing in the scent of the sea, polished wood, musty cotton. The smell of the place he’d foolishly been told was his home for seventeen years.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ The man’s whimpered plea was cut short, Goro’s pearly teeth ripping into his throat and tearing it out. Blood spurted outwards, showering the horrified crowd as The Commodore stared forward, face unchanging. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ These people weren’t innocent, not one of them was, they all worked for him. They believed in him. They would willingly torture a creature like Goro at The Commodore’s command. The corpse in his arms was no more innocent than Goro himself.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ The people on deck, once their initial shock passed, began screaming, sobbing, vomiting. Goro took sick pleasure in eliciting this reaction out of the worms onboard. He grinned maliciously, pupils narrowed to slits and blood dripping down his chin. He held the corpse out at arm’s length, waiting until he was close enough to dump the body into the crowd. It landed among them with a sickening ‘thump’, scattering the bystanders and causing another wave of horrified screams. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ The Commodore approached the pulley system, shoving people aside until he was at the lever. Goro reached out for him, aiming to gouge out his damn eyes, but the man was faster. He released the rope suddenly, sending Goro sailing down the side of the ship with an angered shriek tearing itself from his throat. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Goro thrashed around in the net, hissing and snarling. The Commodore leaned over the side, looking down at the mermaid in disgust.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “We’ll be docking soon, we need supplies before our next voyage. You can bake until then, brat.” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Goro gave a strangled scream of pure rage, “COWARD! I’LL KILL YOU! I’LL POP YOUR SKULL OFF YOUR SHOULDERS LIKE-” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Goro went dead silent as something sharp and metal was jabbed down. Goro was, unfortunately, still high enough up that the cowards could reach him with long weapons. A metal prong was stabbed through the holes of the net, catching on his caudal fin and ripping clean through. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Goro was quiet, shrinking in on himself, unable to escape as The Commodore callously sliced at him from the safety of the deck. He only struck Goro a few times, each was horrendously painful. The fibers of his sensitive fin being stripped from his tail, new tears being made and old scars reopened. Goro refused to scream or cry, that would be admitting the human held power over him. Instead he silently shook, arms wrapped tight around himself, begging to any God to get him away from this. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “You know better by now,” The Commodore said coldly, withdrawing the instrument of torture. “You won’t be swimming away now. I’ll come back later to see if you’ve learned your place yet,  _ **_Goro._ ** _ ” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ \--- _ _  
_ _  
_ Goro lifted his tail, staring emptily at his shredded fin. Some days he wanted to cut the whole thing off and just be done with it. The phantom sensation of metal tearing through him followed him wherever he went. He was conditioned, no matter how hard he tried to fight it. Even the sight of a simple pocket knife was enough to send him into a silent panic attack. Which was the only damn reason he felt any fear at all around that human who had cut him free. The bastard… Goro still couldn’t wrap his head around that man’s motive.   
  
He rested a hand gently over one of the raw spots on his tail, hoping it healed quickly. Strangely, he found himself wondering if he  _ would  _ see that man again. If he did… maybe he’d have a few more questions before killing him. Maybe.   
  
\---   
  
The next day, in what Goro assumed were the early hours of the morning, he and Futaba set out to hunt down as much food as they could store back home. Futaba darted around in front of him, a blur of orange scales and white teeth as she chased a school of neon tetra in Goro’s direction. Goro wasn’t the most skilled hunter, not when it came to hunting  _ fish,  _ anyway, so he usually did what he could to set up little traps for Futaba to chase fish into.   
  
Today, he had woven what he hoped was a steady net of seaweed, which he held up high as the tetra darted away from his sister in a panic. He swiped the net down and held it closed, a broad grin on his face, “That’s at least five of them!”    
  
Futaba came to a stop in front of Goro, eyeing the movement of the seaweed contraption. “You’re so good at weaving those! They can’t get out at all, huh?”   
  
Goro adjusted the bulk of the sack into his palms and crushed the contents between them, watching in bemusement as wisps of blood escaped the seaweed. “It’s fine I suppose, but I can’t make a net big enough to catch us a suitable meal.”   
  
Goro drifted over to a sand bank and floated down to sit against the soft slope. Futaba joined him, lying atop the bank and watching as he opened the seaweed and offered her one of the crushed fish.   
  
She took the tiny thing and swallowed it, bones and all. “Mm, I get watcha mean, but you were pretty banged up yesterday, you’re in no condition to hunt bigger fish. And I know how weird you get about me hunting outside our territory on my own.”   
  
Goro snapped up one of the tiny fish, dissatisfied with how little it did to satiate his hunger. He handed Futaba the remaining three fish, figuring she needed it more than he did. “I simply don’t want to risk you getting hurt. It’s not the fish, you know-”   
  
“I know I know,” Futaba popped another fish in her mouth, “ish the poashersh.”   
  
Goro nodded bitterly, looking up towards the surface. He could barely see it from how far down they were, but this area was safe. It was filled with coral and seaweed and tall grass and kelp. Poachers usually steered clear of areas with lush plant life, and would instead hunt for mermaids in the wide open depths. Unfortunately, the depths also held the better fish. Goro was sure the poachers knew that too.   
  
A thought slowly formed in Goro’s head, fueled by his lack of sleep and desire to take his stifling anger from being captured out on something. He crossed his arms over his chest and said, “What if we don’t hunt fish today?”   
  
Futaba rolled onto her back, licking the blood from the empty seaweed wrappings, “mm? Isn’t that like… way more dangerous than just letting me hunt in the depths?”   
  
“Not if you stay here, and I go with Ann,” Goro replied.   
  
Futaba hummed in thought, “I dunno, sounds like you being reckless while I sit and worry. Again.”   
  
“It’s not- I’ll be with Ann! And… you can go play with her mate or something. So you won’t have to sit and worry.”   
  
“Why can’t I join in hunting up top, huh?” Futaba protested, puffing her cheeks out.   
  
Goro smiled at her in a fond, entirely condescending way, “I love you, but you can’t sing worth a damn.”   
  
Futaba gaped dramatically, her gills flaring as she put a hand to her chest, “ME? Bad at singing? Why of all the things! I have NEVER been so insu-”   
  
“Can we go?” Goro cut her off.   
  
Futaba spun around and bounced up with a snort, “Yeah okay.”   
  
Goro nudged her lightly before the two linked arms and began swimming along. Futaba pushed them forward with her powerful tail, with Goro using his mostly useless fringe to try and kick up any extra water pressure he could.   
  
After a few minutes of swimming in silence, Futaba spoke up again, “I know I was joking around but like, I’m not THAT bad at singing, am I? I mean, sure, compared to Ann, but like…”   
  
“Sharks aren’t really known for their Sirenspeak,” Goro replied, “I wouldn’t feel too bad about it if I were you.”   
  
Futaba scoffed and elbowed him, “Jeez, are Betta fish known for being rude little bitches?”   
  
Goro chuckled softly, “Perhaps they are.”   
  
“Well then you’re doing stellar at being a normal mermaid,” Futaba teased.   
  
Goro huffed, squeezing her arm tighter to guide them to the left, holding tight as they exited the safe haven of their coral field and pushed out into the murkier, emptier ocean of the depths. They would have avoided this part of the ocean altogether today if they could have, but Ann and Shiho lived in this accursed place, so a pitstop was necessary.    
  
It took only about fifteen minutes before they approached the painted spires of stone and hanging ornaments of bone, glinting off of the greenish light as they strained against the tall seaweed they were tied to. These were the markers indicating the start of Ann’s territory. Creative decor, and a friendly warning to nomad mermaids not to stop and hunt here.   
  
Futaba reached out, poking one of the strung together bone decorations, eyeing it curiously. “Why don’t WE have cool stuff like this?”   
  
“If you paid attention when I taught you how to tie proper knots, maybe yours wouldn’t fall apart,” Goro replied flatly.    
  
The two stopped, going quiet as a shadow slithered along the ocean floor in front of them. Long and agile, the dark blotch moved silently, clouds of dust being the only indicator of its movement. Goro’s fins started to flare up, but Futaba pressed them back to his tail, trying to prevent the physical demonstration of aggression. It was a reaction Goro couldn’t help, years of conditioning insisted he respond to anything he was unsure of by threatening to attack it. He was grateful Futaba helped keep him in check, she was the only reason he’d avoided several fights, he was sure.   
  
The shadow drew closer, the shape of a head appearing among the murky, sandy water. Trailing underneath was a torso, followed by at least seven feet of tail, which coiled down until it was out of sight among the clouds of sediment.   
  
Goro and Futaba visibly relaxed, and Futaba opened her mouth to let out a series of chittering squeaks and chirps, a friendly greeting Goro still was unable to perfectly replicate. He tried, however, and the figure must have recognized them well enough. A resounding screech was given in reply, and the figure began waving its arms, motioning for them to come closer.   
  
Goro and Futaba swam down, Goro squinting through the murky water until he cleared the wall of ocean floor the other mermaid had kicked up. It was Shiho, currently shrinking in height as she let her massive tail relax against the ground. Shiho was an eel, tall and imposing, right up until you got close enough to see her soft, guppy-sweet face.   
  
Her slick arms lowered with the rest of her, claws sinking into the sand as she settled more comfortably, “You two startled me! What are you doing here? Oh!”   
  
Shiho shot forward at an alarming speed, grasping Goro’s waist tightly as she reached them. “What happened to you?! That sun damage looks bad! Were you doing something stupid again?”   
  
Goro snarled in annoyance, prying her claws off of him, while Futaba just shook her head. 

"You know how he is, got caught again. He's real lucky nothing awful has happened on his stupid missions yet. And even luckier that a mysterious stranger happened to intervene this time." 

Shiho looked between the two, pursing her lips. "...hm, yes. I guess he is pretty lucky." Goro didn't like the way she was eyeing his caudal fin, but at least she seemed to think better of saying anything about it in front of Futaba.

"Well, come on in. Let's get out of the Depths before some big fish marks you for easy prey," she said, drifting back to the sand before slithering along it. 

The siblings followed closely, swimming just above her until they came to the cracked cliffside she and Ann had made their nest in. There was a slab of shipwreck propped up uselessly against the crevice of an entryway, just a moldy old piece of a ship’s hull serving as a makeshift door. Goro always found it amusingly cute, how hard the two tried to make a craggy rock in the desolate sea look homey. 

Shiho pushed the mossy wood off to the side and slithered in, her slick scales squeezing easily into the more narrow space. Futaba darted in next, her sandpaper scales leaving little scrapes in the stone, and Goro hesitated outside. 

He had fairly wide hips, and while it was always a tight squeeze to fit into the women's home, he just wasn't looking forward to this with the injuries he had. It wasn't the pain he was worried about as much as the risk of scattering fresh blood in the water, but with some careful wiggling, he managed to only lightly irritate his raw tail. His fringe nearly got caught, and a bit of it may have torn off, but the whole thing was still too sore for him to be entirely sure. 

The hollowed out space inside the cliff was cozy, welcoming, with bioluminescent plants gathered from adventures decorating the edges of the floor. They gave the room a wonderful, soft glow that actually made Goro forget about the disgustingly dark water outside. Ann was sitting in her and Shiho's shared nest, clearly having just woken up. She was wrapping her bare chest with thick seaweed, grumbling quietly about it probably being too early for this while Shiho sighed and rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. 

Goro drifted on over. "Do you ever do anything but sleep?" 

Ann huffed and grabbed a handful of human jewelry-all lost overboard or stolen off victims- and began adorning herself with it. "I don't  _ just  _ sleep! I do plenty!”

Goro sighed heavily, taking in the almost gaudy decor. Sparkling jewels and rotting silks littering the flora filled cavern. "Ah yes, your ‘treasure hunts’. Though I don't think looting corpses counts as treasure hunting.” 

"It's treasure, and I hunted. It counts," Ann replied, finally looking over at him. It just took a once over from her before her expression changed, shifting from a tired smile to a much more alert grimace. 

She shifted, her body jangling with the ridiculous amounts of bits and baubles she'd put on, and fixed him with the stern glare of a disappointed mother. "And what did you tell her happened this time?" 

Futaba perked up, always seeming to know when she was the one being talked about, and darted over from where she had been playing with one of the glowing plants. "Who me? Tell what?" 

Goro shot Ann a hard look and replied, "The truth, of course. I was caught up in a net for a few hours, and a filthy human cut me loose." 

Ann blinked once, surprised, "A human..? N-No, we'll come back to that! Look at your tail! What in the abyss did they do to you this time?" 

Futaba's brow furrowed, eyeing Goro worriedly, "... Maybe it's more serious than I thought? He barely looked in pain… Ann, is it bad?" 

Ann sighed, "... No. It's fine. I mean, he'll heal. Hey, Futaba? Why don't you look at our fancy new treasures with Shiho for a bit. Goro and I are gonna go for a swim."

"But-"

"I'll be asking her about what we discussed, don't be surprised if we don't return for awhile," Goro said stiffly. He grabbed Futaba's head and nuzzled gently against her hair, "be good." 

Futaba made a low, annoyed rumble, but ultimately conceded when Shiho rested a hand on her shoulder. 

"You'll enjoy it," Shiho said sweetly, "some of it is from an overturned merchant ship, maybe you can help me figure out what everything is." 

Goro cast one last glance back at the two before following Ann back out of the hollow. Her tail was such a stark pink that even down here it was like following a beacon through the cloudy dark. The endless shiny jewels wrapped around her certainly made it easier too. Still, as much of a target as her flashy colors and fashion made her, few others dared tangle with Ann. And now, on the receiving end of a full, fangs-bared glare, Goro could easily see why. 

"Why won't you tell her?!" Ann hissed, her claws flexing dangerously. 

Goro crossed his arms and looked away, "You know damn well how little good it would do. She'd only worry!" 

"She may be young, but she's a capable girl! She could probably HELP if you told her everything-" 

"I will NOT risk losing my only remaining family to that  _ man _ !" 

"But it's okay to risk HER losing her only family?!" Ann demanded. 

Goro fell silent. The question hung in the water between them, nothing but the sound of gently swaying kelp and softly rattling bones filling the sea around them. She was right. She was  _ always  _ right. But even still… 

"I won't die," Goro mumbled, "I'd never let him have the satisfaction." 

Ann swam closer, her hands adorned with rings gently taking one of his, "I know you believe that, but you aren't invincible. You aren't even full mermaid. You can't keep doing this, your body can't take it."

Goro hated it more when she pitied him. Her gentleness hurt far worse than her fangs would have. Still, he didn't doubt that her worry was genuine, even if it made him  _ feel  _ so very weak and small. 

"... I can't stop either. I can't just let him keep on living, not after everything he did to me, my mother, our kind." 

"You don't have to stop, you just don't need to be alone," Ann pressed, squeezing his hand. "Just think about it, okay? Especially when it comes to Futaba. She needs to know the extent of it eventually." 

Goro let out a shaky breath, gills fluttering. He avoided meeting her eye, "... I'll consider it." 

Ann nodded sharply, "good. So, with my lecture all done, was there  _ actually  _ something you'd wanted to ask me? Or was that another lie..?" 

Goro let out a huff. " _ Yes _ . There was something. I'm too injured to hunt a good meal down in the ocean today. I wanted to know if you'd go with me to snag some slower prey. You know good spots for that, don't you?" 

Ann's eyes lit up, and she beamed nearly brighter than the jewelry adorning her. "Oh? You almost never come treasure hunting with me! But, in your state… are you sure that's a good idea?" 

Goro snarled, baring his teeth less in frustration at her, and more at his own lack of ability. He should be able to do this alone, it should be so simple. But he knew he couldn’t, and he knew the danger he posed if he didn’t swallow his pride and ask for assistance. "That's why I want you to help. Humans are slow, poor swimmers, and so fatty compared to fish that one of two should be enough for everyone. Right? I've only had a damn mackerel in the last two days, I'll start eating my own damn tail if I can't catch a decent meal soon."

Ann gave him a sympathetic look. Hungry mermaids were dangerous creatures, another reason they tended to live alone or only with a mate. All mermaids had poor hunting weeks, and all knew the pain of having an empty stomach for days on end. The difference, however, between a hungry human and a hungry mermaid, was the insatiable ravenous bloodlust that overcame them the longer they went without eating. Attacking other mermaids or even hurting themselves wasn't unheard of. 

Goro had gone longer than two days without food before, but he didn't like to risk getting too dizzyingly hungry around Futaba. He had to be in a clear enough state of mind to protect her, and wouldn't dare be a potential risk. 

Ann nodded, looking up towards the surface, which they couldn't even see from their current depth. The light of the sun barely filtered its way this far down, but Ann seemed to know exactly where she wanted to head anyway. "Alright, come along with me. I know a nice spot to beach and lure in fancy looking ones." 

"I don't give a damn how fancy they are, let's just go," Goro replied. 

Goro's tail slapped uselessly in the water for a few moments, with him getting increasingly flustered that he wasn't gaining much height. His damn fin was so freshly shredded that it was making things annoyingly difficult. The sting of his scales and ache running down his tail didn’t help either. He continued to fight the still water around him, bucking like he was desperately trying to free himself from some unseen assailant.

Ann hooked her arm in his, kind enough not to comment as she pulled him along with her. Goro was embarrassed, but grateful nonetheless. 

"...so," Goro started, desperately fishing for some kind of conversation topic to break the awkwardness. "What about this beaching spot draws in the fancy humans?” 

Ann smiled, all teeth and bright eyes, "it's because it's right by a big stone paved yard! One of those big rectangle ones where humans go to throw things at the winged creatures and stare at the sea!"

Goro nodded slowly, "a courtyard, likely. The richer folk  _ did  _ always take some odd joy in feeding the birds. But they aren't sailors, most don't even have boats with them. How do you lure non-sailors into the sea?" 

Ann laughed loudly, shaking her head as the water around them changed from a muddy green to a calming blue, the sun piercing enough at this height to light Goro's scales golden and make Ann's reflect like a pink light. 

"Goro… you might know more human words and customs, growing up with them and all, but you have no idea what they're willing to risk for a sexy mystery," Ann grinned. 

Goro scoffed, "Sexy, huh? Well I know how to pull off a good song, but I don't know about all that."

Ann pulled Goro towards a rock jutting above the surface, stopping just beneath the strangely shaped structure. Goro had been so caught up in the idea of luring in non-sailors that he hadn't even noticed they had moved into the shallows. The rock cast a shadow above them, and Goro could just see where it was wedged against the actual shore several feet away. He wasn't sure how comfortable he felt so close to the land, but he had to trust Ann on this. 

"Don't worry about it! You're very sexy when you aren't baring your teeth," Ann assured, removing one of her necklaces to fasten it on Goro instead. "Humans love pretty things, and if you can spot one all alone, you can usually get them curious enough to wander riiight up to the water. And then? BAM!" 

Goro nodded slowly, looking down at the necklace, "You've really updated your hunting technique since I last came with you." 

Ann nodded, unwrapping her seaweed top, prompting Goro to quickly look away out of respect. "Sure have! Goro, why are you looking away? I KNOW you aren't interested."

Goro scoffed, " It's still rude to undress without warning. Why the hell are you even doing that?" 

He risked a glance back towards Ann, seeing her patting her bare chest and adjusting her jewelry carefully to highlight her egregious nudity even more. "Um, duh? Sexy?" she replied, as if that cleared anything up at all. 

Ann sighed heavily and shook her head, "look, just… go beach, and try to NOT look menacing. Just bat your pretty eyes and sing. Humans LOVE Sirenspeak, that much hasn't changed.”   
  
Goro let out a sigh, bubbles streaming out of his gills and mouth. He was too hungry to argue with her methods. Sure, his songs tended to work best on causing sailors to wreck into the craggy rocks, but he could try his hand at luring someone off the shore. He had nothing to lose, he supposed.   
  
Goro swam up to the surface, claws grasping the rock jutting up out of the waves. He winced slightly as his tail scraped over the rough stone, and disliked how warm it was from the sun hitting it. He was going to get irritable if this took long.   
  
There was a loud splash as Ann leapt out of the water and landed next to him, her claws scrabbled against the stone for a moment, her pink tail refracting light as it slapped around in the sun. Goro had to grab her under the arms to keep her from sliding right back off the rock, his claws digging in to get a better hold, but not drawing blood.   
  
She got her bearings and managed to roll up against him, her glittering hips bumping against his, “Thanks! Man, I need to get better at my jumps.”   
  
“Or just climb,” Goro huffed, “It’s not that hard to develop your arm muscles, you know.”   
  
Ann hushed him and nodded towards the shore. The area where they sat was partially obscured by trees, the fronds waving in the breeze, casting shadows over the sand and making the humans in the grass nearby equally hard to see. There appeared to be a couple, however, who were breaking away from the gathering to walk along the shore.    
  
A young woman adorned in layers and layers of frilly sea foam green cloth and wrapped in pearls, and a man in a fitted vest with gold accents. They looked like nobles, or high society at the least. A shame they were so skinny, but Goro would take what he could get.   
  
“Look at those pearls!” Ann cooed softly, “And the gold buttons on that man are SO shiny.”   
  
“Just focus,” Goro snipped. “And go high. It sounds off when we don’t properly harmonize.”   
  
Ann nodded, shifting a bit and pushing herself up, puffing her chest out and opening her mouth in a careful ‘O’, hiding her teeth the best she could as she sounded a long, high note. Goro pressed himself down lower to the rock, folding his arms in front of him to rest his cheek against them. His dark brown hair feathered around him, finned ears pressing back against his head as he started up a low, guttural hum.   
  
Sirenspeak was similar to normal singing, but Goro had heard humans sing, it was just words and a tune and sometimes an instrument. Mermaids were different.    
  
The note from Ann started high and long, a note filled with love and the feeling of soft moss and sweet-smelling flowers wrapping around him. Goro’s note was dark and low, the sound of an ocean storm and the weight of a wave crashing down, a sense of danger and foreboding carried in his song, the kind no curious soul could help but move towards.   
  
It always took awhile for them to find a melody when they sang together, a pair of mermaids needed coordination in both tune and emotion if they wanted to weave a strong enough net to draw in an unfortunate human. Ann tilted her head against his, her long, wet hair draping over his shoulders, her lighter note slowly lowering, voice carrying the whisper of mystery, the promise of a wonder that only the sea held. Goro’s voice raised in response, the storm replaced with the feeling of longing. The deep, urgent pull, the need to break free of the now and chase the wide open blue of whatever the endless ocean had to offer, risks be damned.   
  
Their eyes scanned the shore, locking in on the couple, who had stopped their walk some time ago. Goro could just barely see their expressions, they were separated by fifty feet of water and sand. The man stood, feet still firm on the ground, though his eyes kept trailing towards Ann, a dark interest in his eyes. The woman, however, was entranced by the sound. Her hand clutched to her chest, mouth trembling and eyes wet, her hand twitched at her waist, longing to reach out and embrace the sound.   
  
Goro focused on her. His voice grew louder, and he pushed himself up, locking his arms and raising his head up high. The wind pushed his hair forward to frame his face, a curtain of earth haloing the sea. His voice wavered and his breath stuttered, a desperate plea, a motion of faux kindness, he slowly reached out towards the woman. One hand, covered in sharp claws and gleaming red scales, glittering like rubies in the sun, beckoned her. She wanted to run, she wanted the freedom their lullaby promised. He saw her take a step towards them.

  
  
The man called what Goro presumed was her name, grabbing her arm and yanking her back, but she just tugged herself free and broke into a run. Goro’s eyes gleamed, ears pricking forward in anticipation as her feet splashed against the shallow foam.   
  
Her dress clung to her, heavy and thick, as the salt water soaked it through and chilled her to the bone. She was in the water up to her chest before Goro pushed himself off the rock with a hard shove. The song above him stopped, so he assumed Ann dove after him.   
  
Goro swam up to the woman, who was up to her neck in the sea now, feet barely skimming the ground. He pushed up out of the water and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into an embrace. Mystified by the sea, thoughts clouded by the wonderful promise of their song, she did not resist. She leaned into him, slender arms returning the embrace as distant eyes looked into his.    
  
“Let her go!” the man on the shore called out, frantic.   
  
Goro looked up, only to see Ann shoot right by the pair in the sea, beaching herself on the shore with no hesitation, lying on her side and eyeing the man. She ran a glittering hand down her body, eyes locked with his, “She wants to play with us. Don’t you want to join in..?”   
  
The man swallowed visibly, torn between the woman and Ann. Goro waited, knowing they’d lose the potential second catch if he ended the woman now. The other human was, quite predictably, selfish. And he took a step towards Ann’s promising soft curves.   
  
Ann rolled onto her back, presenting herself like a tasty dish, alluring and disarming. She batted her eyes at the man and gave a close-mouthed smile. The man made a small, nervous sound in the back of his throat as he knelt next to her.   
  
“You mermaids… really are beautiful,” he murmured, brazenly reaching for her chest.   
  
“Hey! What the hell-are you a complete idiot?!” a voice, somewhat familiar to Goro, called out sharply.   
  
The man drew his hand back, he and Ann both whipping around to see a new human bursting through the treeline. Raven black curls, heeled boots, and a fitted vest that looked far too good on him. He came in like a storm of his own, the look in his eyes befitting of the wild and reckless man Goro had seen once before.   
  
“Do you want to die?!” the man-Akira?-called out, racing towards the two on the sand. Still lacking self preservation, still just as confusing in his motives.   
  
Ann let out a sharp hiss, baring her fangs and rolling onto her stomach. She grabbed her prey by the ankle and yanked hard, tearing his skin as she pulled him to the ground. The man let out a shriek, loud and panicked.   
  
Unfortunately, this was enough to rouse the woman in Goro’s arms from her trance. He saw fear replace the haze in her eyes, and she began to scream as well, feet kicking, fighting against both him and her heavy dress, trying frantically to break loose. Goro responded by holding her closer, claws closing around her like a vice and piercing her ribs, tearing through cotton and flesh like neither were thicker than paper.    
  
Akira had grabbed the man’s wrists and was calling out, trying to get the attention of the other people on shore as Ann backed herself partially into the sea, yanking and shaking the man the whole time, likely snapping his bones in her attempt to break him loose of Akira’s grip.   
  
Three more people ran towards the commotion, and one of them was holding a rifle. Ann and Goro’s ears pricked in surprise at the sight of the gun, and Ann let go of the human straight away, twisting and diving back into the water. Goro heard the click of the gun, and a shot was fired into the water after Ann, but she fortunately wasn’t hit.   
  
Goro’s eyes locked briefly with Akira, as the man had finally seemed to notice him. There was hesitation, a twitch of his lips, before the man still on the ground called out, “Oh god no- Tabitha! They have my wife!”   
  
Akira glanced down at the man, and when he met Goro’s eyes again, the mermaid had yanked the woman’s head back, exposing her neck and muffling her screams with his hand. He’d say he preferred to kill them when they weren’t aware, that it was kinder, but the truth was he didn’t give a fuck how much the humans suffered.   
  
Goro sank his teeth into her throat and ripped it out, blood spraying harsh and fast and staining the sea red around them.   
  
His eyes never left Akira as the woman’s shrieks lessened to a gurgle. Her body went limp in his arms, her fresh blood dripping down his jaw as he stared into that silver gaze.    
  
Time felt as if it stood still for just a moment, all the sound around Goro muffled into silence as he watched the man. He could see the way his hands twitched at his sides and the bob of his throat as he swallowed. For just that moment, it was like neither the dead woman nor the sobbing man existed, Goro could only bring himself to care about Akira’s reaction.    
  
How did it feel, he wondered, knowing a woman was dead because of his choice to turn Goro free? Did he regret that supposedly kind act now?   
  
He finally broke Akira’s gaze, snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of another shot ringing out, missing him by barely an inch. He spared the stunned raven man one final glance before turning, disappearing beneath the scarlet waves.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art by Space! 
> 
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	3. Glittering Ruby

Akira felt as though someone had poured a boatload of sand down his throat. He felt heavy and tired and far too parched. He sated the latter issue by downing an entire glass of red wine as he unblinkingly stared out the window which overlooked the sea. Synder, a noble, had been brought inside, and Akira now stood in his parlor, listening to the man's sobbing screams as the on-site doctor tried to patch up his mangled leg. They'd likely have to amputate. 

Akira couldn't get the sight out of his head. The way the poor man's bones had crunched and cracked as he was whipped around like a dog jerking about his favorite toy. The mermaid woman had been some kind of awe inspiring horror. Soft and curvaceous and inviting, she'd been regarding Synder with such an inviting kindness; watching her face twist into cold fury as she'd spotted Akira had been like whiplash. And then there was the other one… 

Akira went to take another drink, only to realize his glass was empty. He set it carefully down and turned, finally noticing his plus one for the evening was staring at him with intense worry. 

"Sir Kurusu," Haru said carefully, standing from her place on the couch and smoothing out her gown. "I think… perhaps we should cut our losses here. I doubt you're in the right mindset for-" 

She cut herself off, grimacing as Synder's sobbing turned into a pained sort of gargling cry. 

Akira nodded simply, glancing around the room. The room was filled with the scattered remains of what had started as a celebratory dinner. Poor Synder, the man had been kind enough to invite all the noble families from the surrounding isles, so excited to announce the recent birth of his first child. Haru had been invited as an Okumura, not many knowing she no longer had ties with her family’s estate. It was supposed to be a simple, easy job. They were just coming to congratulate the man and his wife, and case the estate for any valuables he might not notice missing.   
  
Guests sat mutely around the main hall, plates of food overturned at their feet from when many had run towards the earlier screams. Tables had been overturned by guards rushing to the scene, and one of the maids held a two month old child in her arms, trying to calm the now motherless child, protecting his ears from the distressed screams of his father. Akira grimaced, it would be far too cruel to rob a man who had just lost everything of real value. 

Akira hooked his arm with Haru's, walking towards the nobleman's steward and bowing, "Lady Okumura and I will be taking our leave. Give Sir Synder deepest regrets." 

Haru bowed her head as well, one of the rare instances in which she showed proper respect to men Akira knew she held nothing but disdain for. “I pray he may recover from this, our thoughts will be with him.”   


The steward, an elf with oaken skin and a sharp, dour face, merely nodded. Despite his stony exterior, there was still grief evident in his eyes. “Thank you. Lady Meri will be greatly missed.”    
  
Akira stared back at the steward, feeling a deep sympathy for him. He could recognize the look deep in his eyes, wondered how close he actually was to Meri. He opened his mouth to give further condolences for the man, but Haru gently elbowed him, prompting him to get moving.    
  
As the two exited the estate, the sound of crickets and waves crashing against the distant shore filled the air. Was the sand still red, or had the tide washed it clean?

  
“The steward seemed pained. Just as much as Synder. Do you think-”    
  
Haru cut Akira off, her voice was quiet, her words were firm. “Servants are frequently made to believe their keepers love them. Perhaps she did. It’s not either of our places to speculate.”   
  
“I had only wanted to apologize for his loss, too,” Akira murmured.   
  
“It would have just been salt in the wound,” Haru replied. “I know you meant well, Captain. And I know how awful it must have been, actually seeing such a thing…” she trailed off, gaze turning towards the cobblestone path.   
  
Akira swallowed, the steward’s sadness pushed from his mind as he recalled the event. The glint of fang and claw, the red of his eyes that matched the blood on the water, the tail end of the melody he had heard…   
  
The two stopped, reaching one of the waiting carriages at the end of the estate’s land. Akira helped Haru step up into the carriage, offering his hand like the gentleman he wasn’t. She took it and climbed inside, shifting her skirt with such care and grace, a remnant trait of the young noble she no longer was.   
  
They were quiet as the driver started back towards town, the only sound was that of hooves on stone. Akira found himself lost in thought once more, his gaze drifting to the passing trees, then up to the grey, cloudy night sky. The hoofbeats faded as Akira’s brain supplied the lingering notes of the mermaid song once more. It was all he could hear.    
  
The red that had welled in the sea mixed with the melody, the woman’s final gurgling shriek as her blood painted not only the water, but the sand at the edge of the shore. The red spray of her life draining from her, the sweet promise of some unreachable freedom offered by their song. Fang on skin, claw on cloth. A crescendo of unfathomable pain, given a merciful end as she went limp in his arms. And the cloying whisper of that song, urging all who heard it towards the same end.   
  
“Captain?” Haru’s voice tore Akira from his muddled thoughts. His eyes slowly lowered to hers. Her brow was knit and her mouth pulled into a tight frown. “You’ve been silent quite awhile, are you… okay?”   
  
“I…” he took a slow, shaky breath. “I don’t know what to feel.”   
  
“I didn’t see it,” Haru said softly, reaching over and giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. “But I know how horrific it must have been. I… I’ve seen a mermaid attack before, another time.”   
  
Akira said nothing, biting his lip. She had been through this before..? No, not this. She didn’t understand how he felt, he was sure she felt much differently about what she had seen.    
  
She seemed to take his silence as a prompt to continue, or maybe she just needed to get it off her chest. Either way, she spoke. “I was rather young, father had brought me along on a convoy to Lion’s Head, back when it was just settled. It was supposed to be a calm meeting between the Naval fleet that wanted to stake their claim there, and my father’s associates, who wanted to post their own men in the city instead.”   
  
Haru paused, her hands moving into her lap as she stared down at the floorboards. Akira let out a shaky breath, feeling a knot in his stomach grow the longer she spoke. It was so rare of her to talk about her past like this, he felt so incredibly guilty. But still, he felt it was important for her to continue, so he nodded. “Go on.”   
  
Haru ruffled up a handful of her gown, fingers playing with the silk as she carried on, tension heavy along her shoulders and in her words. “It didn’t end peacefully. We still aren’t sure how or why the Navy Captain had a mermaid, but somehow…” she exhaled sharply. “I was just twelve, but I can recall most of it. One of father’s negotiators raised his voice, just slightly, and that captain… unleashed this  _ thing. _ ”   
  
“I’m so sorry,” was all Akira managed to say. His voice was hoarse, his gut twisted tight.    
  
“It was… many years ago. I shouldn’t dwell on it.” Haru sighed heavily, releasing the cloth clenched in her hands. “I just wanted you to know I could sympathize. And, I won’t judge you if you wish to express your feelings. I know it’s quite a lot to process.”   
  
He appreciated Haru for trying to help, but she truly didn't understand. She couldn't. No one could possibly fathom the endless complexities of emotion coursing through Akira. 

"I appreciate your concern," Akira replied, voice barely a whisper, "but you would judge me." Anyone in their right mind would judge him.   
  
“Captain, you’re more than allowed to express your feelings, especially to me. I can understand better than anyone how upsetting this ordeal must have been,” she protested.   
  
Akira was silent for a beat longer. Her worry was so genuine, her care so misplaced to put it all on him like this. He opened his mouth, closed it, then spoke. The words fell out of his mouth, a thought overflowing out of his mind and spilling onto the wooden floor before them. “It was beautiful.”   


Haru was silent, but Akira could see the confusion etched across her features. 

Akira leaned back in his seat, throwing his hands down at his sides, "It was horrific and violent, and my heart hurts for Synder and his wife but-" 

Akira shook his head. He couldn't voice it. He was a monster enough without saying it aloud. At least if he kept the thoughts inside, only God would know what a horrible man he was. 

Haru's hand squeezed his, however, and she nodded slightly. "But…?" 

Akira looked away from her, staring over the side of the open carriage instead, watching the stones rush past, a blur of grey beneath them. He took a slow, shuddering breath. 

"The mermaids… really are beautiful in all things, aren't they? I heard it. Their... song. Haru, it’s such a strong lure, I… I can see why Meri was drawn in. It could have been me so easily, Haru, I’m sure I only snapped out of it because they stopped before I reached the shore.” Akira paused, drew in another breath. “And the way she was killed…”   
  
Akira closed his eyes, thinking only of Goro, of his golden scales and his honey fair skin, stained scarlet by the dripped flesh still between his teeth. "Even their violence has a twisted kind of elegance to it. Some horrible, sick part of me… thought that it was beautiful." 

Akira leaned his head back, staring up at the night sky in favor of looking back at his friend. He didn't want to know what kind of expression Haru was wearing now. "I didn't want her dead, of course I didn't. It was a tragedy. But Haru… I was, I don't know… entranced."

There was nothing for quite awhile after that. Just the sound of hooves, and the sound of crickets singing away in the sparse treeline at the edge of the path. After an agonizingly long time, Haru's gave a meek "oh", and nothing else   


Akira let out another heavy breath and carried on, digging that hole deeper and deeper. “It was my fault too, you know? The mermaid that killed her… he's the one I cut free.”   
  
Haru didn’t speak again. When Akira finally chanced a look in her direction, he saw she was looking towards the street. Her face was mostly obscured by the tilt of her hat, the net of lace hanging from it making it so Akira could only just make out her long eyelashes and tightly pressed lips.   


Akira went to speak again, but the carriage had just rolled to a halt at the edge of the port-side market. Haru got out swiftly, hiking her skirt up to hop out without his aide. Akira awkwardly walked up to the driver, handing him the fare before having to hurry after Haru, who had begun walking ahead without him.    
  
“Haru, slow down! You can’t walk off in the dark on your own, you don’t know who might be out here!” Akira insisted, catching her hand in his.   
  
She tugged her hand away lightly. “I can handle myself quite well. Thank you.”    
  
Her tone was cold and sharp, it insisted he not press her further, and he was smart enough to heed the unspoken warning. His hands dropped to his sides, heart rate spiking as he wondered what she must think of him now. He followed silently to the ship, walking after her as she moved swiftly and tersely onto the deck.   
  
“Welcome back!” Ryuji called, oblivious cheerful as he bounded up to them, both navigators in tow.   
  
“You faces make it seem as though things did not go as intended,” Makoto greeted plainly.   
  
Haru brushed quietly past Ryuji and pulled Makoto to her, greeting her with a quick hug. She kissed her cheek and then tipped her head, saying quietly against the shell of her ear, “We need to discuss something. Privately.”    
  
Akira swallowed thickly, feeling sand in his throat once more as he turned to address Ryuji and Hifumi. “We had to call it off. The target had been through too much tragedy today. It would have been too cruel after what happened,” he said, looking down at the deck.   
  
“Wait, what? What the hell happened?” Ryuji asked, his ears tipping forward, curious and a bit worried.   
  
“There was a… mermaid attack,” Akira said carefully, tugging at the ends of his waistcoat nervously. “The man’s wife didn’t make it.”   
  
Hifumi’s eyes widened, and Ryuji grasped Akira’s shoulders. “Are you okay? You didn’t get bit, did you?”    
  
The elf lifted each of Akira’s arms, his ears twitching as he scanned his friend for any injuries. “I know I ain’t real good at my fire magic but if one of them hurt you, I swear I’ll roast em.”   
  
Akira pushed Ryuji back gently, “No no, I’m fine, and so is Haru.”   
  
“But that man’s wife…” Hifumi sighed heavily. “It seemed you ended up taking a risk for nothing. How regrettable.”   
  
Ryuji frowned. “Yeah, sucks and all, but I kinda just feel bad for the noble guy. It’s not like we were gonna take anything he’d miss, but to lose his wife..? And, did you guys actually see it happen? I dunno if I coulda stomached that.”

Akira could feel Haru’s cold eyes on him. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, “it was a very long and tiring experience. I think it’s best if we all just call it a night early and prepare to set sail. We have all the supplies we need now, yes?”   
  
Hifumi nodded. “Indeed. Though I feel we may have been able to stay a few days longer if  _ someone  _ had not put the local Navy on high alert. Sir.”   
  
Akira grit his teeth, reminding himself that he wasn’t the type of captain to scold his crew for disagreeing with him. He wouldn’t let it sway him either, though.    
  
“I stand by my decisions,” he said sharply, looking Hifumi in the eye. She glanced away, adding nothing else.    
  
“If that’s all, then goodnight.” He turned, striding towards his cabin, leaving no room for anyone to actually protest further.   
  
Ryuji made a confused noise, looking between the captain and the agitated women. Akira just closed the cabin door behind him, latching it shut to give him some peace until morning.   
  
The pirate let out a hefty sigh, unbuttoning his waistcoat and loosening his ascot. Morgana hopped up onto the drafting table, meowing loudly in greeting. Akira flipped open his storage chest and put away the clothes, then walked over to pet the noisy cat.   
  
“Morgana, tonight was not a good night.”   
  
\---   
  
The next morning, Akira was just awake, barely even half dressed, when the sharp raps on his cabin door indicated that Makoto was now prepped and ready to lecture him.   
  
He shrugged his shirt onto his shoulders and strode over to open the door, acting as nonchalant as possible. “Good morning, my lady. To what do I owe-”   
  
Makoto held up her hand, silencing him. She eyed his scarred chest, then flicked her gaze back up to his. “You could at least be properly dressed when you answer your door, Captain.”   
  
Akira went about buttoning his blouse, “Would you rather wait outside? Your knocking sounded urgent.”

“Don’t play coy. It isn’t cute. You know  _ exactly  _ what I’m here to discuss.”   
  
Akira finished the last button and looked away, busying himself with finding his sailing coat. “... I don’t know what you’re hoping I’ll say, Makoto.”   
  
Makoto sighed shortly and walked to sit behind his charting desk. She looked down at the map, trailing an idle hand over the course they’d mapped most recently, only slightly smudged by Morgana’s tail. “I want you to tell me you’ve come to your senses. Or say that some siren magic caused this lapse in sanity. I wasn’t there, but Haru told me as much as she could. She said you saw it happen, so your reaction is just…”   
  
Akira pulled his coat on and shoved his hands in the pockets, looking from the map to her. “I don’t know how to help you understand it.”   
  
“Try.”   
  
Akira quietly sat across from her, feeling like a schoolchild in trouble with the headmaster. Makoto sat tall, her hands folded on the desk, gaze cold and scrutinizing. It made him feel small. He could explain, he knew he could, but he was sure she wouldn’t like it.   
  
“I...it’s complicated,” Akira started, which only made the navigator narrow her eyes. “You recall a few days ago, when I told you all how I saved a mermaid and nearly drowned?”   
  
Makoto crossed her arms, “I’m sure you nearly drowned, I’m still not sure how much I believe-”   
  
“It was the same one. I wasn’t lying. I cut him free, and then I saw him kill that woman only days later.”   
  
Makoto uncrossed her arms, hands gripping the desk as she stared at him with wide eyes. “Haru… hadn’t mentioned that.”   
  
Akira shook his head. “It’s my fault, I swear I feel awful, you have to know that. She didn’t deserve to die, but-”   
  
“ _ But? _ ”   
  
“But… I don’t regret saving the mermaid, either.”   
  
“It’s a dangerous predator! It ate a woman in front of you, and you don’t regret letting it live?!” Makoto demanded, her nails curling against the desk, crinkling the edges of the map.   
  
Akira shrank back, “You weren’t there, Makoto. I knew I risked the same fate when I cut him free, and he looked so scared and helpless-”   
  
“As  _ scared  _ and  _ helpless  _ as the woman it murdered?!” Makoto’s voice raised, slamming her hands against the desk, shaking the inkwell as she stood. “You can’t sit there and just ignore what it did, you can’t pretend that saving one scared creature puts you on some moral high ground!”   
  
“He was suffering! Who knows what the Navy was planning on using him for? They hadn’t killed him yet, so it could have been way worse than-”   
  
“I’m not interested in your damn hypotheticals, Akira! What might have happened doesn’t mean a thing to me, it DID kill someone, and whether you like it or not, you’re partly responsible for that!”    
  
Akira let out a shaky breath, feeling a pang in his chest. He shook his head and looked away. “You think I don’t know that? I wish it hadn’t happened, of course I do, but are you really asking me to change my entire morality over this one incident?”   
  
“No,” Makoto hissed. She sank back into her seat, glaring at him. She waited until he met her eye to continue. “What I am asking is why, after seeing the pain the thing caused, you would insist that such a monster still deserves the freedom you gave it.”   
  
Akira looked back at her, searching her gaze. He was at a loss for words. His mouth worked silently for a minute, trying and failing to find a way to justify himself, to make Makoto understand.   
  
“Not everything is black and white,” Akira defended weakly.   
  
“Not everything is grey, either.”   
  
“You weren’t there,” Akira replied, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. “Not  _ either  _ time. You couldn’t possibly understand, and no matter what you think, this is one thing I can’t back down on. Someone was suffering, and I fixed it. What they do with their life after that… it’s not up to me.”   
  
“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider the consequences before leaping to help random dangerous creatures,” Makoto shot back.   
  
Akira straightened in his seat, gaze turning sharp. He slammed an open palm on the desk, making Makoto flinch back in shock. “You know what? I’m sick of this. You  _ really  _ want to try and argue what punishment something deserves for being dangerous, want to try and nitpick my morality, even with how I found  _ you? _ ”

  
Makoto averted her gaze. “That’s different. I wasn’t a danger-”   
  
“The church disagrees,” Akira said harshly. He stood, walking around his desk to grip the back of the chair Makoto sat in. He leaned up next to her, pointing at a small port island on the map. “According to them, you threatened their way of life. A woman dressing as a man, daring to steal the good wives of working men? You were a threat to their very culture.”   
  
Makoto’s eyes were fixed on the map, her hands were shaking against the wood. “I never killed people,” she protested weakly.   
  
“You slit the throat of the priest who ordered you stoned to death. I handed you the knife,” Akira hissed, fingers digging into the back of the chair. “Do not try to claim I should regret saving anyone. Always remember those who would tell me the same of you.”   
  
“Akira, I don’t-”   
  
“Are we  _ clear? _ ”   
  
Makoto hung her head, finally tearing her gaze away from the map to stare at the floor. “Yes, Captain.”   
  
“Never forget that I gave you this chance. But if you ever decide that my choices are too regrettable, you’re free to leave. I’ll drop you wherever you wish,” Akira said, releasing the back of the chair.   
  
Makoto quietly stood, walking back to the cabin door. “That won’t be necessary. I have no desire to leave, Captain.” She hesitated, took a deep, shuddering breath, and exited.   
  
Akira was alone in his cabin again. He felt the anger seep out of him, replaced by a swift torrent of conflicted emotions. She hadn’t been there, she hadn’t seen how awful a condition the poor mermaid had been in. She hadn’t spoken to him, hadn’t seen the gleam in his eyes. All Makoto knew was that a predatory monster had been set free, and because of it, an innocent woman died. Things were so much more complicated than that, but could he really blame her for not seeing things the way he did?   
  
He stood by his choices, and Makoto was out of line to suggest anything wasn’t deserving of mercy, but perhaps bringing her past into it had been harsh of him. He felt conflicted, but ultimately, he was sure he’d made the right choice, at least in regards to freeing the mermaid.   
  
The pirate took a few deep, steadying breaths, pet the cat sleeping on his bed, and then headed out to the main deck.   
  
\---   
  
The sun was high in the sky by the time the crew was ready to set sail. Mishima was just herding the children below deck, making sure to keep them out of the busy crew’s way as Akira did one last sweep of the decks to be sure everyone was ready.    
  
Iwai was giving the canons a good cleaning while Haru instructed a few of the newer gunmen on how to properly pack in gunpowder. She gave the captain a curt, respectful nod as he passed, but didn’t give him her typical friendly greeting. Akira suspected things would be tense between them for a while.   
  
He made sure the crew were in place by the sails, and then caught Ryuji by the arm, pulling him away from where he was helping a deckhand rig up the mainsail.   
  
“Roal can handle that for a minute, I need to speak with you,” Akira said by way of explanation as he dragged the baffled first mate aside.   
  
“Ak-uh, Captain, what’s up?” Ryuji asked, confused.   
  
Akira let go of his arm and glanced towards the wheel, where Makoto stood with a compass in hand and Hifumi at her side, scribbling away on parchment. He looked back at his friend and first mate and quietly said, “Things are a bit tense between Makoto and I today. In the interest of things going smoothly, I was hoping you could man the helm for the time being.”   
  
Ryuji looked towards the brunette, then back at Akira, ears tipped forward curiously. “Did… did somethin happen? Is she in trouble? Are  _ you  _ in trouble?”   
  
Akira exhaled sharply through his nose. “Not exactly. I think we still have a few disagreements to iron out, is all, and it would be best for everyone if we weren’t distracted at the wheel.”   
  
Ryuji nodded a bit, “Uh, right, sure. But, no offense Captain, it’s been awhile since you were at the main mast-”   
  
Akira smiled a bit and tousled his friend’s hair. “I appreciate the concern, but I remember what needs being done well enough. The sea looks calm today, anyway, so I’m sure we’ll shove off just fine.”   
  
“Right,” Ryuji smiled back. “Aye aye then, just uh, if anythin’ goes bad, get Mishima. He’s a little much, but he’s been learnin my tasks real good lately.”   
  
Akira chuckled. “Sounds like him, probably trying to impress me. Thanks for this, Ryuji.”   
  
Ryuji saluted and ran off, heading for the helm, where a somewhat confused Makoto watched his approach. Akira could see them exchange words, and Makoto looked towards him before turning her attention back to Ryuji and nodding. It seemed she understood. That was good. No matter how tense things were with his right hands, Akira wouldn’t let personal squabbles endanger the crew. Now he just had to focus on hoisting the mainsail, a task better suited for someone of Ryuji’s muscle mass and experience for sure. But Akira was still confident he could do it, he had learned how as a teen and managed on his own for some time after all. Things should go fine.   
  
\---   
  
The first hour or so of sailing went smoothly, they had successfully pulled out of the port and made it into the wide open blue. Akira stood by the main mast the whole time, adjusting the sail as needed, and thinking that he really must be slacking if his arms were stinging so badly after just an hour of work. Mishima came up to relieve Roal of his post after awhile, which Akira had mixed feelings about.   
  
On the one hand, the teen looked tired, and he was glad to give the boy a needed break, but on the other, Mishima was always … a lot. And for once, the eager sailor had a captive audience. Akira couldn’t leave the mast, as it was safer to have two people watching the mainsail at all times, and it meant no escaping Mishima and his… questionable discussions.   
  
“Morning sir!” Mishima greeted cheerfully. “You hardly ever help run the sails. Lady troubles?”   
  
Akira let out a long, heavy sigh. He tugged the rope hard, shifting the sail a few degrees, “You have a uniquely bad way of phrasing things, Mishima.”   
  
Mishima blinked, looking at him owlishly. “So… that’s not it? I just thought... Makoto and Haru both seemed upset today, and Hifumi was on edge. That’s half the women on the ship, so I just assumed you must’ve done something to upset the ladies.”   
  
Akira grit his teeth and secured his grip on the rope as the wind fought for control of the sail. He heard Ryuji call out ‘hold steady’ and had to buckle down harder. Fighting for control with nature was almost always a losing battle. Mishima grabbed onto the rope too, and all Akira could think was that at least he did his job well.   
  
“You have a rather shallow view on things, as always,” Akira mumbled, “It’s a personal matter, and it just so happens that two of my closest crewmates are women. It’s nothing to do with the fact they’re women, Mishima.”   
  
“I guess, but you know how moody ladies can get. At least, they always seem to around me.”   
  
“That’s because you lack tact . I’ve told you before- or do you really need Haru to stuff you into another canon before you learn?”   
  
Mishima looked down at the deck nervously, “N-no, you’re right, that was my fault. I swear I thought it was a compliment!”    
  
Akira sighed again, beginning to feel emotional exhaustion on top of the tiredness in his arms, “I know, Mishima, I know.”   
  
“I’ll figure it out eventually,” Mishima mumbled. “But uh, hey! It’s pretty cool getting to run sails with you! I feel like we’ve spent so much less time together since the crew got so big.”   
  
“Yeah, that’s why,” Akira said noncommittally.    
  
He looked out towards the horizon, spotting a few grey clouds in the distance. Not a bad sign on their own, but they looked thick and heavy, bearing a greenish hue. That was less than ten minutes off, by the look of it, he wondered if Ryuji had spotted it.   
  
He looked towards the helm, and while Ryuji was squinting out onto the decks, focused on the direction of the sails, Makoto was staring straight out into the distance. She leaned over and said something to Hifumi, who nodded and descended the stairs, beginning to cross the main deck. She talked to a few people before reaching Akira and Mishima. “There’s a storm on the horizon, though I’m certain you spotted it as well, Captain. Be ready to fight the winds soon, we’ll have to ride it out the best we can.”   
  
Akira nodded, “Thank you, Hifumi. Please see to it that the people below deck are made aware too.”   
  
Hifumi gave a short nod, “indeed. And, Captain?”   
  
“Yes?”   
  
“Your arms are trembling. Please consider letting Mishima take over, you’ll need your strength for the coming storm.”   
  
Akira flushed slightly, refusing to meet her eyes. He was ashamed that he’d grown so out of practice. “... Thank you, a good idea, as always.”   
  
She went on her way, and Mishima rested a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, I’ll take over no problem! Nobody thinks you’re weak or anything, you’re just more used to manning the helm.”   
  
Akira awkwardly let Mishima take over, rubbing his sore arms. “Hah… I appreciate it, really, but I am too weak. I need to be able to take over any task from my crew should anything happen. I’m too out of practice, I’ll just have to fix that.”   
  
Mishima looked up at him, eyes shining, “You’re so admirable, Captain. The Navy was nothing like this-”   
  
“I know,” Akira cut him off. “You really don’t need to compare me to your old captain every time.”   
  
Mishima hugged the rope tight/ “I know, I just… still really appreciate being able to be here.”   
  
Akira sighed and smiled softly at him. Mishima was a nuisance at the best of times, but he had to admit that the man was certainly always grateful, and he did try his best at everything he did.   
  
Akira stretched for a good few minutes, shirking his coat so he could rub his sore arms. If he noticed Mishima staring at the line of his back and the subtle flex of his arms as he worked feeling back into them, he pretended he didn’t. Akira sighed heavily, glad he’d had Haru remove the sleeves from his blouse last year. It might have just been early spring, but his thick coat and the sweat he’d worked up yanking around heavy ropes for an hour had really started to overheat him.   
  
He turned to watch the rapidly greying sky, and frowned as he watched lightning crackle not far in the distance. “I have a bad feeling about this storm,” he mumbled.   
  
\---   
  
Within minutes the storm was upon them, harsh and fast and entirely too much to handle at once. The crew had been expecting a relatively smooth sail, so to say they were underprepared for the onslaught would be an understatement.

Alira had barely been able to rest his arms, and now he found himself wrestling with the ropes again, teeth grit and shoulders taught, a harsh tremble to his muscles as he and Mishima struggled against the raging winds. A battle for dominance over the sail, one that mother nature was quickly winning.    
  
Ryuji was calling out orders, but they were distant and nearly impossible to make out over the torrent of water soaking them through and the crashing waves that sloshed up the edges of the hull. The ship was strong, it could weather this, but the crew was another story. 

Akira planted a boot firmly on the deck, only to feel the slide of inch deep water under his feet. He looked down, the harsh dark of the storm making it hard to see, but he could just make out the water pooling at his heels. If the waves were already causing such a buildup, then they were at a high risk of someone getting tossed overboard. It was a risk Akira didn't want to take if he could help it. 

Akira grit his teeth and squinted up towards the wheel, where he could just barely make out the outlines of the navigators and Ryuji, doing their best to fight against the winds and water and keep things organized. He was needed here at the mainsail, but he needed to take charge even more. 

He felt the rope slipping in his hands, and let out a sharp curse as the rain-slicked halyard left searing rope burns along his palms. 

"I'm useless here!" Akira yelled, mostly to himself. Then he said, directed at Mishima, "I need to take control of this situation!"   
  
“You can’t just leave the mast! We need two people, or the wind will take it!” Mishima protested, his boyish voice swallowed by a clap of thunder and another crashing wave.    
  
Akira heard the screams of the crew, and saw as two men had grabbed hold of a third and were desperately fighting to keep him on board. The captain looked around frantically, trying to spot someone who could take his place so he could get this under control.

His hands trembled against the ropes, his palms stung and he could feel skin tear as another gust of wind ripped the rope along his palms. Just then he felt a firm grip on the ropes, much stronger than Mishima, and looked over to see Haru. Her fluffy hair a drenched curtain that clung to her face, her skirt hiked and tied around her waist, heels dug in hard against the deck and teeth grit. She elbowed him aside and took his place, actually fighting the sail back into their control.    
  
She looked at him, serious as death, and called over the rain, “I think you know where you’re needed, go!"   
  
Akira let out a short, sharp sigh of relief. “Thank you, Lady Haru,” his words were eaten by another massive wave rocking the ship, but he was sure she got the sentiment.    
  
He turned towards the helm, the wind tearing at his coat and yanking the tails high in the air as he began to push his way towards the others. He had to cover his face as a particularly sharp gust pushed him back and threatened to knock him down. He dug his heels in harder, finding as much purchase as he could against the flooded deck.

He could hear his crew yelling in panic, and see some being tossed about as swinging ropes and swaying masts knocked them off balance. He managed to grip the stairs to the helm, and tensed, pressing himself to the wall as another wave rocked the hull so hard that it actually pushed the entire floor at an angle for a moment.    
  
Makoto was screaming over the wind, urging Hifumi to do something, and the other woman stood, rooted to the spot as she stared out over the decks. Ryuji's voice cut through the thunder and sheets of rain, barely audible. "Captain!"    
  
Akira crawled his way up the steps, footing slipping as he fought to keep steady by gripping the wood with his damaged hands. He clambered up and managed to take hold of the wheel, which Ryuji readily relinquished.   
  
“What do we do?! We weren't ready for a storm this bad!" Ryuji yelled over the storm.

Akira gripped the wheel tight and planted his feet firmly on the slick wood, splashing in the growing puddle and glaring out into the turbulent sea. "Lady Lavenza has weathered worse, we'll push through!"

Makoto screamed over the roaring waves, cupping her hands over her mouth to try and make her words clear. "Are you mad?! We can't sail through this! You'll kill half the crew!"

Akira shook his head and canted the wheel at a hard right, pointing the bow of the ship directly towards a leveling wave. Everyone fought to hold on as the boat split the water, the wave drenching them and rocking the hull, but at least not pushing the boat up at an angle again.

"We have to get to the eye of the storm! It's the safest plan!" He yelled back, "Get out there and keep us from having any men overboard dammit!"

Makoto looked back out at the ocean, her hair whipping about her face, and she finally nodded and pushed off, stumbling as the wind pushed her forward and almost sent her careening down the steps. Hifumi was on her tail, the two fighting their way towards those who seemed to be struggling most to keep hold of the deck. Akira noted that a few weaker crewmates were now tied to masts, quick thinking on someone's part, he'd bet Iwai.

Roughly two percent less worried about the immediate imposing death of his crew, Akira returned his focus to navigating the waves. He yelled for Ryuji to stay close, wanting backup should he need a second pair of hands to hold the wheel steady.    
  
They pushed forward, aiming for the eye of the storm, but they soon came upon a problem Akira hadn't accounted for. He could navigate the ship through high waves and rocky waters, certainly, but the wave approaching them was  _ too _ high, higher even than any Akira had reckoned with previously. The blood in his veins turned to ice as the wall of blue death loomed twenty feet above their heads. The white foam cresting the wave meant the whole damn thing was about to come down, and Akira had no time to angle the ship away. He couldn't outrun this, he'd have to aim directly into it. 

Ryuji's voice was shaking as he called out, "Captain?! Wh-what do we do?!" 

Akira swallowed thickly, situated his stance lower to the deck, and grasped the wheel as hard as he could. "We hang on tight, and pray to whatever God will have us."   
  
Ryuji had grabbed the rope that secured the anchor, and hurriedly wrapped it around himself. Akira felt arms around his waist, about to secure the same rope no doubt, when the wave broke.

Akira was holding the wheel one moment, his friend's strong grip around him, and the next he was awash in a dizzying amount of ruddy water. His hands grasped at nothing, flailing uselessly in the sea as the leviathan wave flooded the deck and lifted his feet clear off the ground.

Akira felt like he was tumbling down a steep hill, the water harsh and fast against his body. It carried him swiftly, his feet kicking against wood one second and hitting the empty air the next. He couldn't see anything, and the horrible mixture of rain and waves made it impossible to tell if he was even above water.

He gasped in a breath, and horrifically felt his lungs filling with saltwater. He coughed harshly, bubbles rising around him as his limbs flailed helplessly, trying desperately to find an  _ up _ to get to. He wasn't even sure if he was still near his ship at all, when suddenly his head cracked against the slats that shielded the crew from falling over the edge. He cried out a stream of bubbles and felt some part of his body break through the water. He couldn't even tell what, and trying to breathe in again proved utterly useless, only serving to pull more water into his lungs and make his vision swim.

He reached out into the impossible black of the water holding him prisoner, grasping for something, anything, that might keep him from the merciless depths, but he found no such respite.

He could feel his vision fading, his chest screaming in pain as it demanded oxygen. His brain tried to force a breath, but Akira knew it wouldn't do anything other than speed the process of succumbing to a watery grave. He tried to stop fighting, knowing there was a chance he'd find the surface if he could just stop panicking, but he couldn't even see. He could feel the icy water turning his whole body numb, and the pain in his chest had crawled its way up his throat, a fire lighting him ablaze from the inside, unable to be quashed.

His arms moved more weakly in the endless mass of water, legs slowing to a sluggish pace and numb fingers shaking as he felt himself starting to lose consciousness.

Akira choked out one last stream of bubbles, reaching out one final time, heart in mouth as he felt himself dying, his only thought that this couldn't be the end, not like this. The last thing he saw before he blacked out completely was a small, barely noticeable flash of navy black, like obsidian sparkling in the void.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art by Space! 
> 
> [On Twitter](https://twitter.com/spaceteacake_/status/1350322035331796998?s=20)
> 
> [On Tumblr](https://spaceteacake.tumblr.com/post/640444971578703872/so-i-was-part-of-the-goro-big-bang-and-i-had-the)


	4. Polished Opal

Back in the cove Ann and Shiho called home, the group of mermaids was resting after their meal. Goro was curled up in the far corner, playing idly with the fringe of one of the luminescent plants as the women spoke.   
  
“She was pretty,” Futaba mumbled, holding the dead woman’s head in her hands. “and there wasn’t much fat on her.”   
  
“There was enough for the four of us,” Goro huffed, “why do you have such a problem with this?”   
  
Futaba sighed and tossed the remains out of the mouth of the cave, hanging by the door as they drifted down into the murky sea. “I dunno, don’t you ever wonder what they were like? They might’ve been nice people. You could at least only kill the mean looking ones.”   
  
“Futaba,” Shiho murmured, looking up from where she was delicately braiding rib bones with cloth torn from the woman’s dress. “You know just as well as us that surviving off fish alone isn’t easy. Humans aren’t all nasty creatures, that’s true, but it’s best if you aren’t picky about who you get.”   
  
“That’s easy for you to say, you aren’t part of their species,” Futaba huffed, crossing her arms.    
  
“Futaba, stop this,” Goro hissed. He pushed himself up and swam over to her, grabbing her by the shoulders to look her in the face. “It doesn’t matter if we have human blood in our veins, we’re more mermaid than man, a fact you should be  _ happy  _ about. Wasting your sympathies on prey with the capacity to stab you isn’t just pointless, it could get you killed!”   
  
Futaba shrank back. “You don’t have to be so mean-”   
  
“It’s clear that it won’t get through your thick skull otherwise,” Goro retorted sharply.   
  
Futaba teared up, the droplets rising and mixing with the water around them. She shoved Goro away and shot out of the crevice, quickly becoming obscured by the dusty water.    
  
Goro reached out for her, but was far too slow. He swam up to the narrow opening and called out, “Futaba! Come back! FUTABA!”   
  
“Wow,” Ann said.   
  
Goro looked over his shoulder. “I don’t know why she’s like this, she has to know this is all for her own good.”   
  
“Yeah, I wasn’t ‘wow’ing about her,” Ann replied.   
  
Shiho nodded, returning to her craft project. “You were very harsh. I don’t blame her for swimming away.”   
  
“Yeah, like, I get where you’re coming from, but maybe you should try to consider her feelings too,” Ann said.   
  
Goro looked down, he could still just make out a few strands of brown hair from the remains below. He shook his head. “She’s so optimistic about humans, I just… I can’t risk her ending up in the kind of situation I did. Even if she hates me, I need to protect her.”   
  
Ann swam up next to him, rested a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, remember that thing I mentioned? About talking to her?”   
  
Goro’s gills flared, letting a stream of bubbles out of his neck and mouth at the same time. “I can’t. I can’t subject her to the truth, it’s bad enough that she knows we share a father. I don’t want to hurt her.”   
  
“You’re hurting her now,” Shiho stated, cutting to the point far less gently than Ann did. “Face it. She’s not even an adult yet, you’re basically her caretaker, and all you’ve done for months is make her feel bad for her opinions without ever telling her why you hold yours.”   
  
“Shiho-” Ann started, but Shiho continued on, slithering over as she did.   
  
“No, Ann, he needs to hear this.”   
  
Goro felt a light tug on his arm, and he begrudgingly turned to face her. Her face was set and her eyes dark as she said, “If you keep this up, if you keep on belittling her and not giving her any reasons for your shit behavior, she’s not  _ just  _ going to hate you, she’s going to leave you and never come back.”   
  
Shiho looked him in the eye, teeth flashing, voice low and serious. “And she will have every right to.”   
  
Goro looked at her, then at Ann, but the blonde just looked away, saying nothing. He sucked in a shaky breath, rubbing his arm. “And you… both feel this way, don’t you?”   
  
Ann played with one of the trinkets on her neck, a rainbow speckled stone from their recent hunt. “... I wouldn’t have put it quite as harshly…”   
  
“I see,” Goro visibly deflated, suddenly feeling so incredibly tired. “I’ll try to talk to her.”   
  
Shiho shook her head. “Don’t try, Goro, force yourself to do it. It’ll be good for both of you.”   
  
Goro bowed his head. “Right…”    
  
He looked down at his tail, seeing that the witch doctor’s slime gunk had actually started to mend his caudal fin, and had even made the fleshy spots on his tail less painfully raw. It had only been half a day and it was already healing..? He refused to admit the witch’s tonics were actually this strong, it just felt absurd, but… he guessed he had to hand it to him this time. With his tail half healed, he felt like he might be able to properly push himself through the water again, and he knew where Futaba would most likely be.    
  
He looked at the women and asked, “Do you think I can swim well enough at this point to find her? She’s likely at the witch’s den.”   
  
Ann grabbed the end of Goro’s tail, humming in thought. “I… dunno if I’d risk it. It’s important though, so, I can always go with you.”   
  
Shiho slithered her way back to their nest, settling in and picking her craft back up. “You two go on ahead, I’ll finish these decorations while you’re out. Be safe, and if you see the witch, ask if he has any more cut juice. We’re almost out, and you nick yourself on rusty treasures so much.”   
  
Ann gave a thumbs up. “You got it! We should be back tonight or tomorrow, stay safe!”   
  
Goro squeezed out of the crevice first, with Ann following close behind. The two started on their way, leaving the safety of Ann’s kelp surrounded territory for the deep blue barren landscape of the Depths.   
  
Futaba had made the swim to the witch on her own plenty of times, and Goro was starting to think that maybe his intense worry over her travels may actually be a little overbearing. He could definitely see where Shiho was coming from, but was he really hurting Futaba? Was he pushing her away that hard..?   
  
Ann nudged his side and gently smacked her tail against his. “Hey, you were doing it out of love. That doesn’t make it okay, but, I think it means you can still recover from this, alright?”   
  
Goro exhaled heavily. “Yeah. Thank you, that really does mean a lot.”   
  
“Want to talk about something else on the way? Keep your mind off it?” she asked.   
  
“I suppose.”   
  
“Weell, I dunno if this is far enough off topic, but… that dark haired human from before seemed like he recognized you. He didn’t look like one of your father’s men though, so, what’s up with that?”   
  
Goro’s cheeks tinged pink. “He’s the idiot that happened to help me before. That’s all.”   
  
Ann’s eyes brightened, and she hugged Goro’s arm tight as they swam. “Ooh, the one you actually let live? How exciting! He was handsome.”   
  
“Ugh, what’s it matter? He’s just another human,” Goro grumbled.   
  
“Alright,” Ann chuckled, “it’s really not bad to recognize not all of them are monsters, you know.”   
  
“You kill them just as often as I do, who are you to talk about that?” Goro scoffed.   
  
“Yeah well, I still don’t hate all of them,” Ann huffed. “Some of them are nice, the children are usually okay. I’d never eat a kid.”   
  
Goro shook his head. “Some morals you’ve got.”   
  
The two swam in relative silence after that, Ann keeping her arm on Goro to make sure he could keep up. Light from the surface just barely reached this far underwater, and the deeper they went, the darker the blue around them became. Past a certain point, Goro could barely see two feet in front of them, and the two had to rely on limited echolocation to guide them. They moved slowly and carefully past the sharp craggy rocks and heat vents that littered the ocean floor, emanating soft, consistent clicks to keep them from crashing into anything.

  
  
Ann moved in front of Goro, letting out three quick clicks and waiting. She nodded and said, “There’s a narrow crevice ahead, we’ll have to go one at a time.”   
  
“Got it. I’ll just follow you then,” Goro replied, ears flicking and twitching, trying to pick up on all the little sounds around them.   
  
He stuck close to Ann’s tail, clicking each time she did. Soon, Goro felt the edges of the crevice scrape against his scales, crumbling stone and bits of coral grazing his fins as he pushed forward. He winced every time a sharp corner scratched him. This was why he never made the trip out here, that damn witch lived so far in the Depths that everyone was blind for half the journey, and it was so deep underwater that the pressure gave Goro a headache.   
  
He bumped into Ann as he finally exited the narrow passage, and she silently gripped his arm. As quietly as possible, she whispered, “Look there.”   
  
Goro was about to ask her where the fuck he would be looking in a pitch black ocean, but then he saw it. A tiny flit of light in the distance, an orb that looked about the size of a lemon. He watched as the orb moved to the left, blinked, and then seemed to be a bit closer.   
  
“Angler mermaid,” Ann whispered.   
  
“I fucking hate deep sea mermaids,” Goro hissed under his breath.   
  
“Shiho is a deep sea mermaid, be nice!” Ann huffed quietly.   
  
“Shut up,” Goro snapped, never taking his eyes off the ever growing light.   
  
The light stopped a few feet in front of them, the soft light illuminating the mermaid it was attached to. The pale face of the creature came into view, long white hair and blank,milky eyes. Sharp fangs protruded upwards from her bottom lip, and she loomed at least a few feet taller than either of them. Goro couldn’t help but think the deep sea mermaids looked a little unsettling. She didn’t even have finned ears, just holes in the sides of her head above her gills, barely visible among the nest of her floating hair.   
  
The angler mermaid opened her mouth, rows and rows of needle-like teeth revealing themselves as she let out a sharp, off-key screech. Goro’s ears flattened and he backed up a bit, pulling Ann back with him. Futaba swam out here so often, how did she manage to keep out of trouble with mermaids like  _ this  _ wandering around?   
  
“You smell like human flesh,” the angler said, not making Goro feel the slightest bit better about this.   
  
“We just ate,” Ann replied, trying to sound casual. “This is a neutral zone, right? Don’t worry, we aren’t looking for a fight.”   
  
“You shallow water fish don’t belong here,” the angler replied, her voice was raspy and quiet, like she wasn’t used to speaking. “You can’t even see this far down, it would be all too easy for you to get hurt.”   
  
“There are two of us, you wouldn’t stand a chance,” Goro snapped.   
  
The angler laughed, a gross, thick gurgling sound. Her light bobbed in the water as her head moved. “What makes you think there is only one of me?”   
  
Goro pressed closer to Ann, his gut twisting in a knot. They could only see her because of the light, he hadn’t even thought to check for others, what a foolish move. The angler backed up slightly, her light illuminating two mermaids about Futaba’s size. Twin boys with wide, empty eyes and needle fang teeth to rival the anglerfish. Their sunken faces and thin arms made them look starved, which was  _ never  _ a good sign. Their adipose fins rippled with streaks of light before going dark again.   
  
“Viperfish… I thought you lived in warmer waters,” Goro breathed. “Look, you don’t want to fight us-”   
  
“No,  _ you  _ don’t want a fight,” the angler said softly. “We’re more than happy to take a free meal when it throws itself in our laps.”   
  
Ann hissed and Goro’s fins flared, neither of them were incredibly well suited to fighting, and they had a huge disadvantage in the dark like this, but it looked like there was no other way out of this.    
  
The viperfish were fast, and both of them struck Ann, yanking her away from Goro and tearing at her with their sharp, intermittently glowing claws. She let out a loud, ear shattering shriek, managing to stun her attackers for a moment so she could strike back. Shallow water mermaids might be softer than the Depths variety, but they were also equipped with Sirenspeak, a secondary magic language with the power to lure humans and stun other mermaids, if only for a short time.   
  
The angler loomed over Goro, her light swinging gently between them as she reached out one large hand. She was so much taller, even her upper half was huge compared to him. If she reached out with both hands, she could probably encircle his whole waist. He ducked under her claws and slashed at her thick, slow moving tail.   
  
He managed to get a solid gash on her underbelly, raking his claws from her tail up to her chest, but he wasn’t fast enough to move back away, and she managed to grab him by the head, her palm completely encasing his face, razor sharp fingers curling into his hair and scraping his scalp. Goro grabbed her arm with both hands, thrashing hard and trying to gash the woman’s wrist hard enough to make her let go.   
  
“What’s this?” She asked, her rumbling voice was like sandpaper on his ears.    
  
She turned and slammed his whole body into a rough cliffside, rocks crumbling around him. He gasped, pain shooting up his spine as his body was dragged down the stone.    
  
“You’re so small and soft, those nails of yours barely break the skin,” the angler chuckled.    
  
Goro could smell his own blood in the water, rising up around him from the rocks dragging along his skin. He cursed himself for being so weak, it would be shameful to die in such a meaningless way. He bit down on her hand, the acrid taste of rot and sand filling his mouth. It was disgusting, but the scales here felt weaker than her tail, and he started gnashing his teeth, chewing through her flesh to make her let go.   
  
She hissed in pain and squeezed his head as hard as she could, making his ears ring and his skull throb, he thrashed harder, refusing to give up, even as the pain made him feel as though his skull might pop.   
  
Then suddenly, Goro felt a hefty weight around his waist, but the pressure everywhere else lessened. He blinked a few times, startled to see the angler being pulled away, a thick tentacle wrapped around her middle. Goro was suddenly yanked forward, and he realized the weight around him was yet another massive tentacle.   
  
At least six feet in length each, five tentacles reeled the mermaids in, holding each one a few feet apart. Goro braced his hands on the rough appendage around his waist, prepared for some kind of horrendous kraken, and was shocked when the darkness lifted, revealing another mermaid. He was wearing ropes of bioluminescent flowers that were draped down his arms and across his neck, and a crown of glowing shrimp were woven together and rested upon his head. From the torso up he must have been nearly six feet tall, well over twelve with his long mass of tentacles. His features were surprisingly delicate, well kempt hair tied into a long braid, and an agitated scowl rested on his face.   
  
“None of that in my domicile. This is a place of peace, and you will respect it, or face the consequences,” his voice was deep and firm, and the tentacles not holding the mermaids lashed around him.   
  
So this was the mighty sea witch.   
  
“W-we were hunting easy prey! There’s nothing wrong with that!” the angler said, her voice shaking slightly.   
  
The two half-starved viperfish mermaids were just struggling wildly, their fins a lightshow as they tried to bite and scratch themselves free.    
  
Goro looked over, where he could just make out Ann’s figure, bloody and bruised, not struggling at all against the witch. Her head was bowed, tail flicking quietly, and Goro understood. He had never visited the witch himself, but Futaba considered him a friend, and she’d always mentioned how strict he could be about certain rituals.    
  
Seeing as he was a twelve foot tall mammoth of a sea creature, and Goro was pretty sure one good squeeze from his tentacle would snap his spine clean in two, he followed Ann’s example. He stopped struggling, and bowed his head in respect to the witch.   
  
He heard the man scoff, and then there was a loud, echoing ‘boom’, and a sickening crunch just audible from the ocean floor below. Goro could smell blood again, and didn’t have to guess what fate had just come to his attacker.   
  
“You two,” the witch pulled them in. “Why have  _ you  _ come to my domain?”   
  
“I wanted to find my sister, Futaba. I thought she’d probably come here,” Goro explained quickly, still avoiding eye contact.   
  
“I’m here for that too. And… my mate wanted more cut juice,” Ann said nervously.   
  
The witch was silent for a moment, then he let out a loud, almost crazed laugh. His demeanor changed quickly, and he unwrapped his tentacles from the mermaids’ waists. “All this trouble over that? Futaba was right, you do carry problems with you. Goro, I presume?”   
  
Goro looked up, trying to mask his slight irritation. “Yes… I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that Futaba has told stories.”   
  
The witch nodded, extending his long hand, the palm was even bigger than the angler’s, and Goro flinched back reflexively. “You may call me Yusuke,” the man tilted his head. “... Shallow water fish do shake hands, correct?”   
  
Goro let out a sigh and nodded, grasping the hand with both of his. It was strangely human, no claws or scales, just rough, calloused skin tinted the color of his coral pink tentacles. Octopi witches were strange, mermaid-adjacent beings, and it was easy to see why even large mermaids feared them.   
  
The witch-Yusuke-offered his hand out to Ann as well, and she shook it warily. He motioned for them to follow. “Come then, I shall get you fixed right up. Futaba may not be pleased, but if you are here to talk to her, then I think it may be for the best.”    
  
Goro and Ann linked arms, supporting each other’s injured forms as they swam after Yusuke. Goro couldn’t take his eyes off the ocean floor, watching Yusuke’s tentacles rise and curl independent of each other, gliding across the sand at a surprising speed. And here Goro had thought the way Shiho moved was unsettling.   
  
He looked back up, eyes fixed on the glowing shrimp that decorated Yusuke’s head. “Ah, yes. I was hoping to talk to her and apologize. Is she alright?”   
  
“She is as she usually is. A loud, chattering pest. She’s quite angry at you, but other than that, she’s very much her energetic self,” Yusuke replied.

Goro smiled a bit, thinking that if she was in high enough spirits to pester someone, then maybe he hadn't completely ruined her yet. "That's a relief."

"Indeed. You are most fortunate that she doesn't wish you ill. I had offered to crush you to death for her, but she seemed quite opposed," the witch said. 

Goro swallowed, and he felt Ann shudder against him. "That's uh, good to hear, yes. I suppose I am happy to know someone else cares so much for her well being at least." 

"You can care all you'd like, how you put it into practice is what matters," Yusuke replied plainly. 

Goro wondered if being twelve feet tall afforded him the luxury of speaking his mind so bluntly all the time, or if he was just being particularly harsh on Goro. 

Beside him, Ann spoke up. "You know, we've never been down here before. It was uh, quite a trip. How in the great blue does Futaba find her way to you so easy without, you know, sight?" 

Yusuke raised one tentacle to his chin, the others all continuing to propel him forward. "How shall I put this? Futaba's mother was incredibly learned in the human sciences, as well as our own. She told me of a human researcher, an alchemist who called my little shelf of ocean 'the midnight zone'. A name befitting of it, due to the pitch blackness." 

"That's super interesting, but what's it got to do with Futaba?" Ann asked, clearly already lost. 

"Patience. I'm arriving to the point," Yusuke replied, raising another tentacle to wave at her dismissively. 

"Futaba and her mother are both mermaids who live in the layer above, an area the alchemist likened to twilight. Due to its low light and protection from the sun's rays, you see-" 

"You don't need to explain the names," Goro said stiffly. 

"Oh, of course. Well, Wakaba was a woman willing to collaborate with humans on many fronts, including experiments of all varieties. Futaba herself was a result of such an experiment, a fact you both know all too well. Well, this alchemist was working at the time on a tonic that improved night vision. And there's no better place to test such things than the midnight zone."

"So… a human came this far down?" Ann questioned, tipping her head. 

"Of course not. Humans are like paper dolls, the pressure at this depth would have capsized his skull in an instant. He gave it to Wakaba to try."

Goro's eyes widened slightly. "So… Futaba has been using some crackpot human's experimental eye juice to get down here?" 

Yusuke let out a laugh at that, all of his tentacles slapping against the ground in unison, sending small tremors up through the waves. 

He shook his head and replied, "Wakaba worked with that crackpot, as you so intelligently put it, for many years and on many projects. The tonic Futaba uses is a perfected blend of mermaid magic and human alchemy, and one I keep stored on my own shelves for shallow water mermaids of all kinds."

Goro's brow furrowed, he had known Wakaba researched humans, but… he never thought she actually worked  _ with _ them. And Yusuke had said Futaba was a result of one of her experiments… how much of this did Futaba already know? And if she knew it, why had she kept it from him? 

"Does Futaba know about all this… human collaborative stuff?" he managed to ask. 

Yusuke nodded. "I knew her mother well, so of course I told Futaba as much as she wished when she first approached me. Did she not pass the information along to you? You are related, correct? I had just assumed…" the witch trailed off, shaking his head and just continuing forward. 

Ann patted Goro's back. "Hey, you okay?" 

He sighed softly. "I suppose. And it seems we've both been keeping things from one another. Though I have a feeling I know exactly why she's kept her matters quiet."

“Just… try to listen for once, and you’ll probably be fine,” Ann said.   
  
Goro knew she was right, but he got angry so easily, he wondered if Futaba would even want to talk to him about it at all, would he be able to keep his calm long enough? He was at least going to try, but, he still wasn’t sure how this would go. A loud rumbling sounded, and Goro looked over to see the witch rolling a large boulder away from the entrance of a cave. The mouth of the cave was illuminated with many of the same plants woven into Yusuke’s hair and wrapped around his arms, giving the whole place a surreal glow.   
  
“We’ve arrived,” Yusuke said, motioning towards the entrance. “I have to duck to enter, it can be a bit of a squeeze. You should go first.”   
  
Goro looked first at him, then the entrance. It was a good two feet shorter than the witch, but still towered high above him and Ann as they approached. Goro couldn’t believe Futaba came here so often. He and Ann swam lower down to the ground, tailfins brushing over glowing anemones as they swam past the entrance and into a huge, high ceilinged cavern. The cavern’s roof must have reached well over twenty feet in height, and there was an impressive network of holes and tunnels burrowed into just about every inch of the walls. ‘Honeycomb’ came to mind, but Goro couldn’t imagine Yusuke would know what he was talking about if he said it aloud.   
  
Hanging algae and little glowing creatures lit the whole area to a point where every patterned hole in the wall was visible, and Goro could even make out some glass bottles and cleaned clam shells shimmering inside a few.    
  
“This is… quite the labyrinth,” Goro managed.   
  
“Holy- the Depths are insane,” Ann breathed.   
  
Yusuke squeezed his way through the entrance and stood back to his full height, tentacles taking up a good majority of the floor space. “Thank you. I carved it myself, I’m quite pleased with how well the rock took to burrowing. It’s a technique borrowed from humans, I’m told, to carve new spaces out of existing ones.”   
  
“Shiho and I live in a crevice,” Ann said, her eyes were wide and bright as she took in everything around her. “Is it kinda like that? It was empty before we moved in..”   
  
Yusuke shook his head, but Goro spoke up before the witch could answer. “Humans don’t coexist with nature, Ann. They destroy it to turn it into something new. It’s how they get those hideous boats they flounce about on.”   
  
“Repurposing the old is not always destructive,” Yusuke offered simply, not elaborating further.   
  
Goro crossed his arms, tail swishing beneath him. “Where’s Futaba?”   
  
Yusuke sighed, “If you upset her further, I will ask that you leave, keep that in mind.”

Goro bit his tongue, deciding it wisest not to snip at a massive sea creature with the power to crush him flat. He gave a simple nod in response, and Yusuke turned, reaching into one of the many openings with a tentacle. Goro noted the way it slid in, the base was the diameter of the entrance, such a snug fit that it wasn’t hard to believe the witch really had burrowed each one himself. 

“Futaba, if you’ve finished pouting, your family has come to speak with you,” Yusuke said, feeling around inside the tunnel before jolting back suddenly. “Do not bite me! I will forcefully remove you!”   
  
He yanked his tentacle out suddenly, the end of it wrapped around a very grumpy looking Futaba. Her claws were dug into the appendage wrapped under her arms, and she was aggressively gnawing on the end of his tentacle.    
  
Ann covered her mouth and Goro stared with wide eyes, in disbelief that Futaba would attack a creature like this. Was she insane?   
  
“Rawrawr! I don’ wanna talk!” Futaba growled, then went back to gnawing on the witch like she was some kind of feral dog.   
  
Yusuke sighed heavily, wrapping his hands around her like a fisherman trying to hold on to a struggling bass. His hands completely surrounded her small frame, and Goro couldn’t help but think the sight of her thrashing tail peeking out from his locked fingers was almost comical.   
  
Yusuke bent down, lowering his hands to Goro and Ann’s level and holding out the hissing, struggling Futaba. “Cease acting like a guppy and hear out your friends. I won’t release you until you agree.”   
  
Goro stared at Futaba, and she smushed herself down as much as she could, her face squishing against Yusuke’s hands. “... You got hurt again. Moron.”   
  


Goro blinked and spun around, looking over his shoulder to try and assess the damage. “Ah, it doesn’t look too bad. What about you? You’re not hurt are you? Futaba, I was worried-”   
  
Ann rammed him in the gut with an elbow, making him wheeze. He coughed and tried again. “Futaba… I wanted to talk to you about some things, and… apologize. I should try to remember that you’re…” Goro hesitated, trying to find the right word,  _ mature  _ certainly wasn’t it.   
  
“Capable,” Ann offered.   
  
Goro nodded. “Right. You’re quite capable, and I’m not often considerate of that.”   
  
Futaba let out a snort so hard that streams of bubbles shot out her gills. She wriggled and glanced back at Yusuke. “Lemme go, I won’t run off, promise.”   
  
Yusuke released her from his grip, and she shot forward, knocking into Goro with a headbutt to the chest. He jolted back, coughing and taking a minute to get his bearings again. “I just got bodied by an angler,  _ please  _ don’t bruise me further.”   
  
Futaba crossed her arms and glared at him. “I’m not gonna just accept some shit apology Ann and Shiho obviously came up with for you. Did you just come here to give me an empty couple sentences and then hope I’ll come right back home? ‘Cause that’s not gonna cut it.”   
  
Goro rubbed his bruised chest. “No, that’s not all. Will you give me a chance to explain some things properly?”   
  
Futaba squinted at him skeptically.   
  
“It’s… about our father, how I was raised. I’m not going to say my reaction towards you was justified, it wasn’t, I shouldn’t treat you like your opinions don’t matter.” Goro sighed and shook his head. “But, I suppose I never told you  _ why  _ I feel as strongly as I do. I was, once again, trying to protect you.”   
  
Futaba looked at him, then back up towards Yusuke and Ann, who had been staying as quiet and out of the way as they could. “...Yusuke, I’m gonna borrow one of your tunnels, kay?”   
  
Yusuke motioned back to the tunnel he’d pulled her out of, “feel free. This does seem like a matter best discussed privately.”   
  
“And I’ll uh… see about that tonic, maybe?” Ann suggested.   
  
“Best you see about those bites first, you’ll get fin rot if you don’t treat that,” Yusuke replied, scooping Ann into his hands.   
  
While Yusuke took Ann aside to dress her wounds, Futaba took Goro’s hand and swam up, leading him into the narrow space. They had to swim in one at a time, and there was just enough room for futaba to scrunch up at one end and Goro to still mostly fit inside.   
  
“It’s… a bit snug,” he mumbled, noting how Futaba was sitting, bent almost at a U with her tail pulled to her chest.   
  
“Nah, I sit like this in here all the time. Yusuke leaves this one empty ‘cause I kept breaking his stuff,” Futaba replied. “I figured um, if you’re gonna talk about something serious, maybe doing it alone would be best.”   
  
Goro sighed, resting his head against his folded arms. “Yes, I suppose that is true. I appreciate it.”   
  
“And… I know you wanted to protect me, but it’s okay. I’m not a little kid anymore, I can handle whatever angsty past you have.” She looked at him, a firm resolve in her eyes. “I can also have my own opinions about humans, no matter what bad shit happened.”   
  
Goro let out a breath. “I know. You’re your own being. I’m sorry we can’t see eye to eye on this, but, maybe we can reach some understanding if you better understand my position.”   
  
Futaba pulled her tail closer, looking back at him patiently. He took a moment, smoothed his hair and looked away from her, staring at the glowing fronds of plants blooming along the rocky tunnel ridges.    
  
“I told you we shared the same human father. But I didn’t grow up in the sea, like you.”   
  
“So… you lied? But you said your shredded tail was from being trapped by underwater rocks when you were little,” Futaba said.   
  
“You were so young, and you wouldn’t stop asking,” Goro mumbled. He began to pick at the fronds, his long claws shredding thin lines through the waving greenery. “It was for the best then. I’ll tell you the truth now, don’t make me regret it.”   
  
Futaba puffed her cheeks out, sending another stream of bubbles out of her gills. “Don’t act like I’m so weak minded!”   
  
He hesitated, and she sighed and reached out, resting a hand over his and keeping it there until he looked her in the eye. She smiled at him, this weary, kind, almost sad smile. “It’s okay, Goro. I promise.”   
  
He nodded and looked up towards the rocky roof, up at the sea barnacles and the tiny creatures that skittered along the stone. “I suppose this story is long overdue…”   
  
She squeezed his hand and said nothing as he spoke. He told her as much as he could bear to, he couldn’t possibly say all of it aloud. He stuck to the basics, the fact he was kept in a tank from the time he was small, the disease and rot that ate away at the edges of his fins from the stagnant water, the creative use of electric eels and sharp metal prongs that the humans used to train him to behave how they wanted, and most of the people he was told to kill.    
  
He couldn’t bring himself to go into detail, he told her of the implements, but not the way they would laugh as the Commodore tore off another piece of his caudal fin as punishment for fighting back. He told her how he had failed to escape many times, but not how the crew would catch him and leave him hanging in the sun for hours to teach him a lesson. And he told her the Commodore was usually the one treating him the worst, but he couldn’t even utter a word about Wakaba.   
  
By the time he was finished, her eyes were glittering, tears slowly rising up to mix with the water around her. She was squeezing his hand so hard it hurt, her claws digging white scratches along his scales.    
  
“That’s evil…” she whispered. “I knew he was bad, Mom told me he was, but this is worse than I ever would’ve- is that where all the scars on your tail are from? Are  _ any  _ of them from living in the sea?”   
  
Goro sighed shakily, feeling a little dizzy. His heart was racing now, and he felt sick. He’d never wanted to relive all of that, and he hoped he could take the rest of his past to his grave. He nodded, still avoiding her gaze, “Some. I got in a lot of fights when we first began to live together, you know that.”   
  
“Yeah… you protected me all the time after mom…” Futaba shook her head. “But, your fins. Why? Why would they do that?”   
  
_ To laugh at something helpless and keep me in line.  _ “It was a way of ensuring I couldn’t swim well. It’s hard to survive in the ocean without a functioning caudal fin.”   
  
Futaba shook her head, looking angry now. “You’re right, Goro. I get it now.  _ Those  _ humans are bad, and they SHOULD pay. But no way in the abyss are you gonna do anything alone! They beat you down for years, you can’t suddenly face them alone now!”   
  
“I’m stronger now, better at-”   
  
“Shush!” Futaba yanked him forward, managing to give him an awkward hug in the tight space. “You’re strong! But you have family now, let us help you!”   
  
Goro sighed heavily, a stream of bubbles rising rapidly and dispersing against the ceiling. “I haven’t changed your mind at all, even after all this, have I?”   
  
Futaba fixed him with a hard look, puffing her cheeks out and digging her claws into his arms. “You made me see how evil humans can be, but I won’t say they’re all that way. Sojiro is proof they can be good! And that man who freed you! They aren’t just prey, and they aren’t just evil.”   
  
Goro was silent for a minute, trying his best to see it from her perspective, instead of just arguing back and ending up running her off again. Ann had told him to listen, maybe there was something here he needed to be less stubborn about. Maybe… if he wanted to think fully logically, she wasn’t entirely wrong about humans. He wished she was.   
  
“... I won’t approach humans any differently than I always have. But I will accept that you may be partially right.  _ Maybe. _ ”   
  
Futaba brightened a bit, some of the seriousness leaving her face. “So you admit I’m super totally right and you’re just stubborn! I accept.”   
  
“Futaba, that’s not-”   
  
“Actually, I shall only accept your apology under a few conditions.” Futaba wriggled back away from him and held up her fingers as she began to list things. “One, you have to let me have more freedom, and not get mad whenever I leave and hunt on my own. Two, you have to try and worry less about me, and three, you’ll at least THINK about letting others help you kill the evil humans.”   
  
Goro opened his mouth, closed it, and hummed in thought. He tapped his hand against his chin, thinking it over. It was entirely reasonable. She was almost an adult, and her ability to make it to this place was enough proof that she deserved more credit than he gave her. It was hard to let go, but Shiho was right. If he didn’t loosen his grip, he’d end up losing her entirely.   
  
“Fine. I won’t try to control what you do anymore. But I can’t promise I’ll worry any less. And…” he shifted slightly in the awkwardly small space. “I will debate talking to Ann and Shiho about my mission. But I still refuse to let you get involved with these particular humans. Is that satisfactory?”   
  
Futaba nodded sharply. “Yes. An agreeable conclusion indeed.”   
  
“Are you mocking my speech?”   
  
Futaba grinned, all her massively sharp teeth on display, and pulled Goro into another hug. “Maybe. Only ‘cause I love you.”   
  
Goro huffed and hugged her back. “Yes yes, I love you too. Now, I feel I’ve been vulnerable enough for one lifetime, can we get out of this absurdly narrow space?”   
  
\---   
  
The three were graciously allowed to rest in Yusuke’s home for the night, the witch making the excellent point that traversing the Depths while injured and exhausted would only make them easy targets. And so, after some mysterious tonic given by the octopus and a good night’s rest, Goro found himself feeling surprisingly refreshed.   
  
He woke up feeling less sore than he expected, many of his minor scratches entirely healed, and the bigger ones already scabbed over. The bald spots on his tail were still there, but the fleshy patches did appear even less raw than the day before. He hated to admit that the witch really did make miracle cures, but he couldn’t deny it either.   
  
Futaba was already awake, chattering away up by Yusuke’s head. Goro shifted carefully, pulling himself up off the sandy ground and scooting away from the large tentacle he’d ended up sleeping against. He looked around until he spotted Ann, still sleeping, completely draped over one of Yusuke’s tentacles.   
  
He huffed and swam up, nudging her and poking her face to wake her. “Ann. Get up, I’m not looking forward to the trip back, so let’s hurry up and get it over with.”   
  
She snored loudly, bubbles streaming out of her nose and open mouth. Goro scooped a handful of grit and pebbles off the ground and dumped them in her mouth.   
  
He smirked a bit as she choked, shooting up and coughing the grainy mess everywhere. She snapped her attention to him, glaring hard. “And you call Futaba the childish one.”   
  
“You were mostly awake anyway,” Goro said, waving her off, “Besides, don’t you want to get back to Shiho?”   
  
Ann sighed, spit out another pebble, and said, “Yeah. At least Yusuke’s tonic fixed me up, it’ll make the swim back a lot easier.”   
  
Yusuke shifted then, his tentacles sliding away from them and pushing him up to his full height. “Ah, you’re awake. Futaba was just bothering me.”   
  
“I was being very engaging and interesting,” Futaba stated, crossing her arms.   
  
Goro and Ann swam up to Futaba, Goro trying to ignore how unsettling it was that Yusuke’s torso was the length of his entire body. He turned to face the witch and gave him a curt nod. “Thank you for allowing us to rest here.”   
  
“It wouldn’t do Futaba any good to have made up with you if you all died on the way home,” Yusuke replied. “Speaking of-”   
  
The man reached a tentacle into one of the many tunnels, drawing it back out after a moment of rummaging. The appendage was wrapped around three small, tinted bottles, which Yusuke lifted up to them.    
  
“The mixture I had mentioned previously. It will help you return safely.”   
  
Futaba took one of the bottles, eyeing Goro almost anxiously as she did. Ann slowly took one too, murmuring her thanks. Goro stared at the green bottle, old and dusty on the outside, likely a remnant gathered directly from the surface, given how good a condition it was in. He thought of what Yusuke had said about Wakaba and that human. He hadn’t asked Futaba what she knew, it wouldn’t have been right to interrogate her right after apologizing for being overbearing.   
  
Slowly, carefully, he took the glass bottle in his hands. It was corked closed with a dead barnicle. He glanced up at Yusuke, who’s expression was calm and hard to read, then to Futaba, who looked as if she’d just been caught in some lie. She was probably expecting him to turn to her, to demand if she’d been using this stuff the whole time, or why she hadn’t told him about it. He would have done all of that the day before, but now, desperate to find some balance he lacked and regain her trust, he avoided any pressing questions he might have had.   
  
He turned to Futaba, pointing at the cork and simply saying, “I’m not fond of alchemy, so I don’t know how to use this. Mind showing me?”   
  
The relief and joy on her face was enough to make Goro consider never asking about Wakaba’s research. She held up her own bottle and said, “easy! This one, you drink. You gotta be fast though, it is liquid. So you know, if you don’t put it to your mouth the second you uncork it, it’ll all just disperse into the water.”   
  
Ann nodded slowly, eyeing her bottle with some concern. Goro just motioned for Futaba to demonstrate. She gave a bright sharky grin and pressed the edge of the bottle right against her lips. She stabbed one claw into the barnacle, and the second she pulled it free, she knocked the bottle against her lips, downing the contents in about three gulps.   
  
Goro and Ann followed suit, with Goro managing most of the stuff before he choked slightly and the rest escaped into the sea around him. Ann took one long sip before coughing, about half of the tonic escaping her bottle. She swore and snapped at the water around her, trying to capture the quickly fading swirls of purple as it rose.   
  
Futaba snorted, seeming quite proud of herself, and Yusuke simply shook his head. The witch took the empty bottles from the group and said, “You both drank enough to last for a few hours, it should be fine. It can be quite tricky to drink while underwater.”   
  
“It’s unnatural,” Ann coughed.   
  
“I’ll admit it’s a challenge,” Goro agreed. He looked at Futaba again. “It appears you know more than I do in some areas.”   
  
Futaba puffed her chest up proudly. “That’s right! Futaba is a very self sufficient shark! Well, way more than you thought anyway!”   
  
Goro nodded. “Yes. You truly are. Let's head back now, shall we?"

Yusuke saw them to the edge of his territory, his glowing accessories lighting up the dark as they maneuvered carefully through it. It took until they were almost to the end of his domain, but the tonic suddenly began kicking in. It made Goro feel lightheaded and woozy, to the point he was worried it had actually been poison.    
  
He squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them again, the dizziness was lifted. As was the darkness. The world around him was lit up in shades of green and blue, the environment illuminated before him as clearly as if it were in the shallows. Everything was strangely colored and surreal to look at, but he could most definitely see. He looked next to him, where a bright green futaba flashed him a sharp blue grin.   
  
“This is freaky!” Ann gasped, clenching and unclenching her hand in front of her.   
  
“Best be off,” Yusuke said, “It should at least last you until you’re in brighter waters, but time is of the essence.”   
  
Goro looked up at him. “Thank you again, I’ll be sure to repay you.”   
  
Then he turned and started forward, the others right beside him.   
  
\---   
  
The swim back was largely uneventful, thankfully. The brightly lit landscape made for a much smoother journey. It was a real luxury not having to rely on echolocation to navigate the narrow passes and craggy canyons. Futaba seemed so happy too, humming in her sweet, off-key tone as they let her take the lead. Goro watched her swim confidently ahead, powerful tail swinging side to side, propelling her with an ease that most mermaids couldn’t hope to achieve. He really did wonder how it had taken so long for him to see just how much she’d grown.   
  
The effects of the tonic lasted a surprisingly long time, as Goro was still seeing in shades of green even as sunlight from the surface began to filter through the water. It made the landscape around them almost harshly bright, and he was able to see clearly far off into the dark, murky distance. He looked up toward the surface, watching lime green and blinding blue waves dance and thrash, sending the water just below into turbulence.    
  
“It’s a bit hard to see, but I think there may be a storm up above,” he said.   
  
Futaba nodded in agreement, “the water this high up usually looks almost bright white with the tonic, so it’s probably actually way darker than usual. I guess we should watch out for rough currents.”   
  
“Uh, mine wore off a few minutes ago,” Ann said nervously, “And I can barely see.”   
  
“It’s that bad?” Futaba asked, surprised.   
  
“Everything is muddy and dark, and even though I know the surface should be visible from here, it isn’t. At all.”   
  
“That’s not good…” Goro looked over at Ann, seeing her nervously hovering in place, looking unsure as she squinted into an ocean that she couldn’t see. He looked back towards the distant surface, watching the colors shift and swirl rapidly over one another. It looked like a pretty big storm up there, that might make it a lot harder to find their way back.   
  
“We’ll have to hold on to Ann and help her back, we’d best hurry,” Goro said, taking one of Ann’s arms.   
  
Futaba took the other, nodding firmly. “right! We don’t wanna get swept up into a big wave.   
  
The three continued on cautiously, the higher they rose in the water, the harder it began to push back against them. They had to swim fairly close to the surface in order to get over the reef that separated Goro and Futaba’s home from Ann’s deeper sitting territory, and Goro was getting worried. The currents here were hard and powerful, much more so than usual. Goro thought that all mermaid territories were deep enough to protect them from harsher surface storms, but this must be some kind of typhoon.   
  
“Are you holding up okay?” Ann asked, nudging Goro.   
  
Goro nodded slightly. “I’m fine, just a little slowed down.” His poor tail was certainly straining in the harsh, churning waters, his tattered caudal fin was being more battered by the water than it was helping him swim, but his tail was strong enough on its own to keep him pushing forward, albeit a bit sluggishly.   
  
As the three crested the reef and began to sink again, leaving the turbulence for equally murky, but much calmer waters, Goro thought he spotted something in the distance.    
  
“Do you see that?” he asked.   
  
“I can’t see anything,” Ann huffed.   
  
Futaba gasped, “a figure! It’s hard to see but… does it have legs?”   
  
There, bright blue against darker greens, the tonic let Goro see a figure far in the distance. Well over a hundred feet away, he could see a humanoid shape, and kicking legs. The water was toying with the figure, knocking it around and sweeping it deeper and deeper into the sea.   
  
Futaba said, “We should help!” at the same time Goro said, “Free food.”   
  
“What?! No to both of you!” Ann insisted, “It’s so hard to see, and echolocation doesn’t exactly work well in thrashing waves! We have to get to shelter, forget whatever you’re looking at.”   
  
“We shouldn’t just let random people drown! The storm won’t kill us!” Futaba insisted.   
  
“It got itself into this mess, why is that our problem?” Goro retorted.   
  
“You said I might have a point about not all humans being bad, AND you said you’d let me make my own decisions, so it’s up to you. Either we all go, or I’ll do it on my own.”   
  
Goro hissed through his teeth, bubbles shooting out of his gills. She was going to find a way to drag that soggy rat back to dry land if it killed them all, arguing wasn’t going to get him out of it.   
  
“ _ Fine. _ But if it drowns anyway, you’d better not throw a fit.”   
  
“Do I get a say?” Ann complained as Futaba started propelling them all forward.   
  
With all three of them fighting the currents, and Futaba pushing as hard as she was, they reached the human incredibly quickly. The water was trying to throw all of them about, and the human’s limbs weren’t swinging against the current nearly as hard as they had been.   
  
It was hard to tell with the limited shades Goro was seeing the world in, but he could make out curly hair, and thought he smelled something familiar. His eyes widened slightly, and he quickly said, “Futaba, I agree with you. We need to get this thing to a shore.”   
  
Futaba looked shocked. “Really?! That’s-wh- uh, yeah! Okay!”   
  
“What’s happening? You guys know humans have like, zero lung capacity, right? What’s the rule? Two minutes under water and they’re dead?” Ann spoke up.   
  
“We better hurry then!” Futaba said, letting go of Ann to grab one of the human’s arms.   
  
Ann sighed and reached out, pawing the water for a moment before finding something to grab onto.   
  
Goro stayed quiet as he hugged the useless creature close, keeping him stable as the three forced their way up, breaking through the waves and up into the cold, violent wind.    
  
Goro couldn’t possibly say why he felt the need to save him, call it morbid curiosity, or maybe just repaying his debt properly. Whatever the reasons, ones even he couldn’t fathom, Akira was worth saving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> amazing artwork by spaceteacake!
> 
> On Twitter: https://twitter.com/spaceteacake_/status/1350322035331796998?s=20
> 
> On Tumblr: https://spaceteacake.tumblr.com/post/640444971578703872/so-i-was-part-of-the-goro-big-bang-and-i-had-the


	5. Shining Obsidian

Akira came back to life abruptly, pain searing through his body and tremors wracking him as sea water poured from his mouth. He gasped and choked, vomiting up more water than he thought the human body was capable of holding. Even in the pain he was in, ice cold and with no feeling in his fingers and toes, he managed to roll onto his side enough to keep himself from re-inhaling the mess of sea vacating his lungs. 

He heaved and coughed for what felt like an hour, never once opening his eyes. He could feel the roughness of stone beneath his nearly numb fingers, but he had no idea how he'd hit shore, or who had resuscitated him, because he surely hadn't come back from that all on his own.

After all the water had finally left his system, he slumped useless against the stony ground, splashing in the puddle he'd just created. His whole body was still freezing cold, and he was almost afraid to open his eyes, but he supposed he had to at some point.

Akira tensed as he felt something against his side, something scaly and only just barely warmer than his flesh.

"Are you done yet?" a sharp voice asked.

Akira did manage to crack his eyes open at this. It was dark here, and "here" appeared to be an oceanside cave of some kind. A narrow strip of sand connected the structure to the ocean, and the rest was all worn stone. None of that was nearly as interesting as the creature sitting in front of him, however. The mermaid Akira had saved, there was no doubt it was him, but-

Akira looked the fishman up and down, teeth chattering as he did. The creature was just as awe-inspiringly fierce as he recalled, all muscle and tough scales and a thick, hefty tail that could probably crush him. But his scales… their golden glow was gone, replaced with a glimmering vantablack, and his fins ended in a deep navy instead of bloody crimson.

"Go..ro..?" Akira croaked out, unable to manage more than that.

The mermaid huffed out an irritated breath, "who else would it be? Anyone else would have seen you as a free meal and called it a day. Perhaps I should have as well."

Akira smiled despite himself, feeling somewhat special that this mermaid had actually saved him. Again.

"You have an awful habit of nearly drowning. Pitiful," Goro scoffed. "Let me guess, that disgusting shivering has to do with your body temperature?"  
  
Akira managed a small nod, not wanting to hurt himself trying to speak. The mermaid pressed a clawed hand flat against Akira’s soaked shirt, regarding it with interest, seeming to be thinking something over.  
  
“Let’s see… humans are warm blooded, I believe...” Goro was mumbling, seemingly talking more to himself than Akira. There was another pause, then the mermaid shifted against the wet stone, his hefty tail slapping hard against it as he pulled himself level with the pirate, peering down at him.  
  
Akira looked up at him with wide eyes, his heart racing as the fierce being loomed above him, regarding him with a cold, emotionless stare. Suddenly, the mermaid swiped down, and the front of Akira’s blouse was torn open. The pirate winced, heart kicking it into overdrive as Goro forced him up into a sitting position.  
  
“Wh..?” Akira managed, but the question died in his throat as Goro pushed his blouse and coat off of him, removing them with such force that it jostled his freezing limbs and sent pain shooting up his arms. The clothes were thrown aside, and Akira was tossed back to the floor, his back smacking against a drier spot further into the cave.  
  
He hissed out in pain, head throbbing and vision swimming. He was vaguely aware of a tug at his legs, and before he knew what was happening, his shoes and trousers had also been discarded, tossed to the side with the rest of his clothes. If he weren’t so cold and in pain, he might have yelled at the mermaid, demanding to know what the fuck he was doing. Fortunately for him, the aggressive creature seemed to be getting to that.  
  
“There. Now you can dry out. I can’t get you any fire, so this better be good enough,” Goro said tersely.  
  
Akira winced as he forced his legs to straighten out, finding the ice wasn’t quite as heavy in his bones now that the soaked clothing had been removed. Here he thought the mermaid might’ve actually changed his mind and had just stripped him so he could eat him, but no, the creature was still trying to help. Albeit a bit abrasively.  
  
Akira carefully and slowly stretched his arms out over his head, taking a few slow, shuddering breaths. The cave was small, but it was deep enough to provide protection from the storm still raging outside. The air was cold and damp, but the wind couldn’t reach him here either, so that was a help. He needed some way to properly warm himself, but at least he wouldn’t freeze any worse now.  
  
A rough, scaly hand suddenly smacked against his chest, making him grunt. He cracked his eyes back open, seeing the mermaid was just sitting next to him, looking down at him with an unreadable expression.  
  
“You got lucky. Consider this the real repayment for saving my life last time.”  
  
Akira huffed and closed his eyes again, managing in a raspy, croaking voice, “Thought you didn’t owe me.”  
  
The scaled hand began to move up and down his torso, a little too rough and heavy, but the friction was providing a welcome warmth. “... Yes, well, you seemed such an interesting human, watching you die such a pointless death would have been a shame.”  
  
“I appreciate it,” Akira exhaled, “Now I owe you.”  
  
The mermaid’s hand stilled, resting against his stomach. “I suppose you do.”  
  
The two sat there in silence for a while, the mermaid resumed rubbing along Akira’s body, and the pirate found a strange sort of comfort in those rough, heavy claws treating him so gently. It wasn’t his intention to fall asleep, but he was exhausted from nearly drowning, and the small amount of warmth being worked back into his body was enough to let him drift off.  
  
\---  
  
When Akira woke, the sun was filtering in through the cave’s entrance. His bones felt stiff and his whole body ached, but much of the chill from before seemed to have faded. He groaned and managed to crawl his way closer to the entrance, pulling himself onto a patch of rock being warmed by the early morning sun. He collapsed back against the ground with a heavy sigh, the rays of soft light felt like heaven against his bare back.  
  
Goro, he noticed, seemed to be nowhere in sight. He wasn’t surprised, if anything he was shocked the mermaid had stayed as long as he had. Akira owed him enough for saving him in the first place, he guessed it was up to him to find a way back out of this mess.  
  
As the sun climbed higher into the sky, Akira warmed himself enough to be able to stand up and shakily walk around, though his legs still hurt with each step. He managed to get his soaked clothes flattened and spread out in the sun, and his boots were set atop his lighter clothes to keep the wind from stealing them away. He moved to sit at the edge of the sandy ring of shore surrounding the little cave, grateful that it was early enough in the year of the sun to be hot, but not scorching. He leaned his back against the outer wall of the cave and surveyed his surroundings. The stone structure sat on a tiny islet with a shore almost too narrow to walk along, and from what the pirate could tell, no other land was in sight. If there was only something close enough to swim too, he’d feel better about his odds, but as it was he knew he only had about three days before the lack of fresh water did him in. His throat was already dry and scratchy from all the sea water he’d unwittingly swallowed.  
  
He stared out at the shimmering sea, scanning the horizon for an answer, when a flash of gold caught his eye. Moments later, the mermaid surfaced, beaching onto the shore and shaking droplets from his hair. Akira stared with wide eyes, not sure if he was more shocked that Goro had returned, or the fact he was inexplicably golden again.  
  
The creature made brief eye contact, then looked back away. He rolled into a sitting position, tail splayed out as he propped himself up on one arm. He held a dirty glass bottle in one hand, and threw it at Akira’s feet, still not looking at him.  
  
“Humans are weak, the salt in the sea kills you if you drink it, right?”  
  
Akira blinked once, taking a minute to register everything. He looked from Goro to the bottle, then slowly picked it up. He uncorked it and took a slow, careful sip, finding it was, indeed, filled with spring water. He made a small sound of approval and tipped his head back, downing about half of it. When he lowered the bottle again, he noticed Goro watching him, the man pressed low into the sand and peering at him over his arms the way a child might watch a wild animal. His big, finned ears flicked, and his tail swished lightly along the edge of the water.  
  
Akira pressed the cork, which he now realized was some sort of preserved barnacle, back into the bottle and stuck it into the sand beside him. He turned towards the mermaid, managing a small grin as he made eye contact. “Like what you see?” he teased.  
  
The mermaid’s ears flattened and his eyes narrowed, pupils turning to slits. He pushed back quickly, moving until his whole lower half was submerged in the sea again. “Don’t flatter yourself, monkey.”  
  
“How’s a fish know what a monkey is?”  
  
“Mind your business.”  
  
Akira shifted, stretching his legs out and his arms over his head. “Why’re you even here? Haven’t you repaid your debts?”  
  
Goro’s eyes swept over Akira’s form, slitted pupils expanding again. He looked down at the sand quickly and replied, “...call it a morbid curiosity. It’s rare you get the chance to study humans in a safe, controlled environment.”  
  
“Safe… for you? You actively hunt humans, what danger-” Akira stopped short, remembering the miserable, abused state he’d found this mermaid in only days ago.  
  
“You’ve no weapons. You’re helpless,” Goro replied, claws curling into the sand, dragging harsh lines into the soft yellow. “And since the opportunity presented itself… I want answers.”  
  
Akira regarded him with curiosity. “... Answers?”  
  
Goro pushed himself back onto the shore, strong muscles propelling him along the sand at an alarming speed. He crawled his way up to Akira and gripped one of his legs firmly, cold scales on smooth skin. “Tell me the real reason. Why did you save me?”  
  
Akira jolted back, startled. “I- huh? I already told you why, I couldn’t just leave you there to suffer.”  
  
“Bullshit,” Goro hissed, his claws curling, digging pinpricks of red into Akira’s skin.  
  
The pirate gasped softly, the pain in his thigh was exciting in a way he really wasn’t wanting right now. He swallowed thickly. “It’s… it’s not. I kind of have a habit of saving people.”  
  
Goro snarled, bearing his sharp, pearly teeth. Still, the grip on Akira’s thigh loosened a bit. “A hero complex, huh? I supposed that’s a little more feasible. But shouldn’t that just apply to other humans? I don’t buy that any of you filthy rats would help one of us for no personal gain at all.”  
  
“Didn’t you do the same by saving me?” Akira replied.  
  
Goro dragged his hand down Akira’s leg, leaving thin lines from his thigh to his knee, “don’t be idiotic. I did it for my own reasons. Not because I thought you deserved my help.”  
  
Akira let out a small, shaky breath, face reddening as the sting trailed along his leg. He was so fucked up, he really really didn’t need this right now. Goro was going to think he was some kind of horrible pervert. “W-well I guess you can just leave it at that, then. I had my reasons for saving you too, even if you don’t believe the ones I gave you.”  
  
Goro withdrew his hand from Akira with a huff, looking out at the sea, “... I still want my answers. I simply can’t comprehend you, and I can’t stand it. You act kind and heroic, won’t tell me the real reason for risking yourself to save a monster, and…”  
  
He glanced back at Akira’s flushed face, an accusatory look in his eyes. “You seem to be a little too worked up over this.”  
  
Akira reflexively pressed his legs together. He could have at least hidden it better if he weren’t still naked. Damn his clothes for taking so long to dry out. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, cheeks burning.  
  
“Would you believe me if I told you that doesn’t mean anything weird for humans..?”  
  
“No,” Goro replied simply.  
  
Akira was so embarrassed, it wasn’t like he was _trying_ to get excited from that, he hoped Goro didn’t think even less of him now. There was a deep, guttural sound from the mermaid, something between a trill and a growl, and suddenly a weight slammed into Akira, pressing up the length of his body and forcing his back flush against the rocky wall.  
  
Goro was right up in Akira’s face, the full weight of his body draped over the man, tail resting between his legs and one hand pressed roughly against his chest. He grasped Akira’s chin with the other, meeting his eyes with a fierce intensity. His slitted eyes were blown wide, and his breaths were hot against Akira’s face.  
  
“You seem ashamed, Akira,” Goro growled, that low rumble still present in the back of his throat. “Is this the real reason you saved me? Some misguided infatuation with things that can kill you?”  
  
Akira let out a whimper, his hands curling hard at his sides, a rolling ache permeating his body from the way Goro’s heavy figure was forcing him against the rocky wall. “That wasn’t why, it wasn’t-”  
  
“But you don’t deny that sick little fascination? Curious,” Goro purred, a smirk sliding across his face.  
  
Akira was silent, wanting to say no, that he didn’t have an interest in the strong, beautiful, powerful being pressing him against the rocks and sliding his hefty tail against Akira’s half hard-  
  
“Maybe a small fascination,” he managed, shivering as Goro’s claws curled against his side, scraping just enough to leave long pink scratches. “But I would’ve saved you no matter what.”  
  
Goro hummed in reply, his other hand sliding from Akira’s chin down to his throat. He tipped his head and searched Akira’s face, something in his gaze looking almost _hungry._ “I suppose I’d be lying if I said you didn’t look appetizing.”  
  
Akira exhaled shakily, unsure if the mermaid meant figuratively or literally, and feeling like it was a bad thing that it kind of turned him on either way.  
  
Goro pressed, just slightly, against Akira’s windpipe. “Well, pirate? Since you’re so damn eager… shall I devour you?”  
  
Akira wheezed out a soft, barely audible, “Please.”  
  
Goro pushed himself off of Akira, a satisfied little smirk on his face as he looked up at him. “You really are pathetic. Don’t flatter yourself, I’d never debase myself by fornicating with a human.”  
  
Akira’s body felt almost weightless as Goro’s form moved back away from him. He took in a deep, shaky breath, rubbed his throat as he looked over at the mermaid. His face felt hot, and he had to shift his legs again in an effort to preserve at least a little of his dignity. “You say that, but the look in your eye says different.”  
  
The mermaid scoffed, his tail slapping once against the shallow water. He moved to sit up straight, bent at the waist with his tail laid out in front of him. That’s when Akira realized that, even just from the waist up, this man was almost a head taller than him. He was still embarrassingly aroused, and god that realization wasn’t helping.  
  
“What will you do now? Can you hunt? Swim?” Goro questioned, moving past the topic entirely.  
  
“I can do both, but that doesn’t do me much good out here. There’s no way for me to get back to my crew, so, I guess I’ll just have to hope they find me quickly,” Akira replied, more than happy to ignore whatever had just happened.  
  
“Hmph. Good luck with that. I’ve exhausted as much kindness as I care to, so I’ll leave you to it.”  
  
Akira reached out, grabbing Goro’s arm in fear that he’d take off right that second. “Wait-”  
  
Goro twisted and swiped his arm, tearing a deep gash into Akira’s flesh and making him let go. Akira gasped in pain, hugging his arm to his chest. He applied pressure to try and stem the bleeding, breathing out quiet swears at the sharp, stinging pain coursing up his arm. He looked over to see Goro had retreated a good distance from him, and was now silently glaring, holding his arm like he was the one who had been hurt.  
  
Akira looked back at him, confused, before it dawned on him. “I… I’m not trying to hurt you, you know. I just didn’t want you to leave yet, I’m sorry if I scared you.”  
  
Goro slowly lowered his hand, Akira’s blood still staining his claws. He scoffed, ears pressed flat, “You didn’t _scare_ me. I just don’t like filthy humans trying to touch me. That cut won’t kill you, stop looking so damn pained.”  
  
Akira slowly lifted his arm up, red smeared all over him as he had no fabric to press to the gash. He supposed it didn’t look terribly deep, but the amount of blood staining his skin was still concerning. He sighed and pressed his arm back against his chest. “It was just a reaction, I’m not going to hold that against you.”  
  
“Like I give a fuck whether you do or not,” Goro snarled.  
  
Akira noticed then that the mermaid was covering his nose, and it occurred to him that maybe bleeding all over the place with a predator sitting next to him wasn’t the smartest thing he’d ever done.  
  
He swallowed and carefully asked, “Is uh… the blood… bothering you?”  
  
Goro looked away. “I’ve already eaten today, you’re lucky.”  
  
Akira took that as a cue to go ahead and clean up, not wanting to risk it. He pushed himself to his feet and very carefully made his way into the water. It was colder than he’d like, making his sore bones protest with each movement, but with the sun high in the sky, he’d be able to warm back up easily enough.  
  
Akira began cleaning the cut in the salt water, wincing at the sting of it. “So, since you’re still here, I guess I had wanted to ask if there was any chance you’d uh, consider helping me a little more..?”  
  
“No,” Goro replied sharply, tail slapping against the waves again.  
  
Akira continued on anyway. “I just need to find my crew, if you could figure out where they are, maybe tell them where I was-”  
  
“And risk being poached by greedy pirates? I think not. I saved you from drowning, that’s already far more than I needed to do. Figure the rest out yourself.”  
  
Akira stepped back out of the water and made his way to the mouth of the cave, where he pulled on his trousers and wrapped his torn shirt around the cut on his arm, tying it tight with one hand and his teeth. He watched red seep into the cloth of his makeshift bandage, grateful that the cut hadn’t been any deeper.  
  
He looked back towards the mermaid who was still sitting on the shore. “So, if you won’t help any further, and you hate me so much… why are you still here?”  
  
Goro shifted a bit and averted his eyes. “... I told you. Morbid curiosity.”  
  
“I think you can’t bring yourself to hate me, and that frustrates you,” Akira said, walking back out to sit on the sand. “What I really want to know is… why do you even hate humans so badly? I mean, I know mermaids hunt us, but I dunno, I hunt fish and I don’t hold any special animosity towards them.”  
  
The mermaid lay back in the sand, letting the water wash up over his tail as he stared up into the sky. With the sun reflecting brightly off his scales and lighting his hair like a halo, Akira found himself unable to look away. Goro sighed softly, the red tips of his finned ears flicking. “If you really must know, it’s because you’re all heartless, cold, calloused beings who hunt for sport and use your strength to crush the weak beneath your heel. I’ve never met a human who would do a single thing out of kindness, there always has to be some personal gain to it, something to extort. It’s part of why I want to figure you out, you… don’t make any damn sense to me.”  
  
Akira hugged one knee to his chest, watching the slow, even rise and fall of Goro’s chest. He regarded the pale scars on his torso and the half healed flesh along his tail. The fringe of his fin was partially mended, but still looked pretty tattered. He had thought, initially, that most of the damage had been caused by the cruel nature of living in the sea. But now he wasn’t so sure.  
  
“How many humans have you met, anyway?” Akira asked, “maybe if you spent more time around them, you’d be able to see not all of them are as cruel as you think.”  
  
Goro laughed bitterly. “I spent seventeen years being _raised_ by humans, I highly doubt time is the deciding factor in my opinion.”  
  
Akira blinked in shock. “You-what? How is that even possible? Humans can’t just raise a fish man like some exotic pet-”  
  
“Oh, they can if they lack morals,” Goro cut him off. “I don’t believe humans can be kind, because far too many had the chance to be, and none of them took it. I consider it my duty to kill off as many of your disgusting kind as I can, I’m doing everyone else in the world a favor by ridding it of monsters like you.”  
  
It felt strange, seeing a nearly eight foot long ocean being with razor teeth and talons calling him the monster, but… he could see where Goro was coming from. Humans raising a mermaid… what kind of awful conditions must he have been kept in for that to work? And, maybe the most pressing question, why?  
  
“What? Not going to try and tell me I’m wrong?” Goro sneered.  
  
Akira shook his head. “No, I think the people who did that to you must be monsters. No one else could mistreat anything for so long. Did they capture you or something? And um… what for?”  
  
Goro rolled onto his side, facing away from Akira. “... the Commodore wished for a weapon that would heed his orders.”  
  
“Com…” Akira furrowed his brow, he was positive he’d heard a Commodore mentioned before, but Goro didn’t seem in the mood to elaborate. Maybe he’d be able to figure more out later.  
  
“Well… I won’t make you talk about it. Um, I don’t suppose there’s some way you might consider at least getting me some kind of tool to fish with? I’d rather not starve if I can help it.”  
  
Goro grunted and sat up, glancing back at Akira. He slid backwards into the water until just his eyes were above the surface, looked at him one last time, and then vanished under the waves.  
  
Akira let out a heavy sigh and leaned back against the rock, closing his eyes. He had no idea if that meant Goro was going to get what he’d asked, or if he’d just finally gotten fed up and left. He figured all he could really do was wait and see.  
  
\---  
  
Trying to conserve his energy, Akira had actually managed to drift off in the springtime sun. He awoke, slumped on his side in the warm sand, to the sound of a high-pitched excited screeching. He pushed himself up in a bit of a daze, only to be slammed back down by a pair of rough, relatively small hands.  
  
He squinted up at the sky, blinded by the sun until a face popped into view, blotting it out. A girl, no older than seventeen by the look of her. Her face was soft and round, and her hair glowed fiery orange where the sun outlined it. He was confused at first, wondering how a teenage girl had gotten all the way out here, when he noticed the tips of fins peeking out of her long hair. Her lips parted in a surprised ‘o’, revealing the sharpest looking teeth he thought he’d ever seen.  
  
He stilled beneath her, heart in his throat, thinking just how easily she could tear out his throat with teeth like that. Instead of mauling him, however, her mouth spread into a huge, razor sharp grin, and she made another loud squealing sound. Her ears flapped and she lifted Akira up a little just to slam him back into the sand.  
  
“He’s SO cute! Goro, you can’t let him die out here, look how _pretty_ he is!” the mermaid girl gasped, looking at something over her shoulder.  
  
“You’ll kill him yourself if you keep shaking him around. Don’t you remember how damn fragile humans are?” Goro’s voice grumbled.  
  
The girl blinked and released Akira’s shoulders. “Oh, right! Duh, Sojiro is always complaining when I scratch him up.”  
  
She moved enough to allow Akira to sit, at which point he was aware of a light stinging on his shoulders. He realized her scales must be rougher than Goro’s, as his poor shoulders were now absolutely covered in shallow scrapes. It was like someone had taken sandpaper to them. He looked between the two mermaids on the shore, Goro and his shining tail, and the girl. She was so much smaller than him, smaller than Akira too. A dorsal fin protruded from her back, and her tail burned a brilliant, iridescent orange in the twilight sun.  
  
Akira reached up, lightly touching the rough shark scale earrings he’d bought from that merchant awhile back. They’d somehow stayed in his ears this entire time. “Tiger shark,” he said dumbly.  
  
Goro rolled his eyes, and the girl grinned at him and winked. Goro threw a very old looking fishing rod at Akira’s feet, along with another glass bottle that the pirate assumed held fresh water.  
  
“She wouldn’t let me take it unless she saw you herself,” Goro said, then turned his attention back to the girl. “Now that you have, go home. I won’t have you hanging around endangering yourself.”  
  
“Don’t be so uptight! You promised!” the shark girl huffed, her thick tail swaying from side to side, creating an indent in the sand. “He’s stuck here, right? What’s the harm in talking a little? Actually…”  
  
The girl turned to Akira, tipping her head, “How long are you stuck here for..? Humans don’t exactly survive well out at sea with no ship.”  
  
Akira sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “Well… if my ship can’t find me before I starve or run out of water… I guess I won’t be here too long either way.”  
  
The shark pursed her lips and tapped her chin, then turned back towards Goro, “Why don’t we lead his ship here? They’d be super ultra grateful! I know they wouldn’t hurt us if we’re leading em back to their friend, yeah? And then… maybe they could help us too.”  
  
Goro shook his head firmly, “Absolutely not! I saw his ship, they’re pirates. I don’t think pirates are exactly known for warm welcomes. He got himself into this, he can get himself out of it.”  
  
“He’s gonna starve!”  
  
“He’s got a rod, doesn’t he?!”  
  
The girl snickered, glancing back at Akira. “I’m sure he does, but what’s that got to do with anything?”  
  
“Go home, now,” Goro snarled.  
  
The shark ignored him, dolphin-bouncing her way back up to Akira. She patted his leg and offered a smile. “I’m Futaba! Don’t mind my brother, he’s always this grumpy, it’s not just you.”  
  
Akira gave a sort of awkward smile, “Uh, thanks..? And I can promise my crew doesn’t kill for no reason, I doubt either of you would be hurt if you made it clear you were there for peaceful reasons.”  
  
“Ooh _your_ crew? So you’re the captain? That’s super cool,” Futaba said excitedly. She was so cheery and open, nothing like Goro. And here Akira had just assumed most mermaids would be as standoffish as him.  
  
“Likely story,” Goro scoffed. “You just want to save your own skin.”  
  
“I really don’t get what your deal is,” Futaba huffed, “I know you have hangups, but you even admitted I was right! Why won’t you be nice to this one guy just this once?”  
  
“I never said you were fully right,” Goro retorted, “Besides, we hunt and eat them. I still think you shouldn’t be so friendly to prey.”  
  
“Big words for somebody who saved this ‘prey’ from drowning,” Futaba shot back.  
  
Akira shifted awkwardly, he felt like he was intruding on a private matter. He watched Futaba move back to Goro and roughly bump her tail against him. Goro returned the motion, and then the two started making this very alien chittering sound. They both made some more sounds akin to dolphins, then Futaba screeched and slapped Goro with her tail again, fixing him with a firm glare. At this point he hissed and dove back into the sea, making little agitated rumbling noises as he left. It was absolutely surreal to witness.  
  
Futaba watched him go, then turned back to Akira. “Sorry ‘bout him. He just went off to cool down, I’m sure he’ll be back."  
  
Akira nodded slowly. “Uh...huh. So um, what was that? Were you guys like, arguing?”  
  
“Pretty much. He’s so stubborn,” Futaba sighed.

The shark shifted into a sitting position, she looked up towards the sky and quietly said, "you're the one who saved him, right? He's really a big hassle…" 

Akira shook his head. "it wasn't a hassle. He was in trouble, I couldn't just ignore that." maybe it had been a _bit_ of a hassle, what with the nearly drowning and the shootout that had ended up occurring, but Akira felt it had been worth it. Even if some other people might disagree. 

"... You really say that, even knowing he kills people? Knowing we all do?" Futaba looked at him, her ears fanning out and head tilting. "Shouldn't you want us dead?" 

Akira rubbed the back of his neck, not really sure how to respond to that. "I, well, maybe I should want that. I won't lie and say it's not how a lot of people feel. But I mean, I don't blame bears for killing people in the woods. Not to make you sound like animals but… it's kind of similar, isn't it?"

Futaba laughed softly. All the pep drained from her face, leaving an exhausted child behind. "There's something else you should know. I don't think a lot of people know this about our kind, but… humans aren't _just_ prey to us. They can be seen as friends, and sometimes, rarely, they can be seen as uh, more, than that." 

Akira hesitated, trying to piece together her meaning. It clicked after an embarrassingly long moment, and he flushed pink. "I uh, I mean I already knew they could find each other um, attractive. But I don't think a kid like you needs to be talking about-" 

"We're half human," Futaba said bluntly, silencing the pirate. "Not all mermaids, just me and Goro. Our dad's the same awful human man." 

Akira was really stunned into silence at that. That one _was_ quite the revelation. He'd heard of the wildly rare cases of humans and mermaids falling in love, but they were little more than myth, and no one had ever brought up the possibility of the two different species actually being able to mix. 

He looked away from her, back out at the sea, and simply said, "Ah." 

"Yeah. Pretty fucked up, isn't it? We're real freaks. What's that human word he's always calling us… taboo? Basically, we're too much mermaid to survive on land, but we're too human to live easily in the ocean either," Futaba explained. 

"No offense, but you look just as terrifying and fish-like as I imagine most mermaids look," Akira finally replied, glossing over the ethics of the rest of that whole situation. 

"we're a little smaller," Futaba answered, "and our skin is soft and easily damaged. Nothing like that damp parchment you humans call flesh, but… it's still a real disadvantage."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Akira implored. 

"I guess…" Futaba paused, looking down at her tail, then over at Akira, meeting his eyes. "I wanted you to understand why Goro's how he is. He won't tell me everything, but, our dad's the one who raised him most of his life. He'd kill me if he knew I said this, but he's actually really weak. Physically, I mean. His heart's plenty strong."

"And… you want me to know he's weak?" Akira questioned. 

Futaba nodded sharply, tears starting to form in her eyes. She flipped onto her belly and pulled herself up to Akira, where her sandpaper hands grasped his trouser leg. "He keeps running to the surface doing stupid shit! I-I can't protect him up here, and you protected him once! Keep him safe, please, somebody has to." 

Akira opened his mouth, but her grip grew stronger and she continued on. "I'll make sure your crew finds you, so you’ll owe me! You have to make sure he doesn't get himself killed up here. Please!"

Tears were running down her soft cheeks, her eyes were big and pleading. Akira was pretty certain there was nothing malicious in her request, she just looked like a scared kid. The next thing she said about punched him through the heart. 

"He's the only family I have left. Even if we're just monsters to you… I can't lose him." 

Akira reached out, hesitantly resting a hand on her head. "I travel the sea a lot. I can't promise to protect him all the time, you know." 

"But if he’s in trouble, and you can, you'll help, right?!" 

Akira nodded, stroking her head in a reassuring manner. "I promise. And for what it's worth, you aren't monsters to me. "

Futaba bunted her head up into his hand and made a soft, almost squeaky sound in the back of her throat. "Thanks. I'm uh, sorry for dumping all this on you at once." 

Akira shook his head. "Don't be, I'd do the same for my family. Oh, but, he seemed like he didn’t want you running off to look for my ship. Won't he be angry? Er, angrier?"  
  
Futaba sat back and gave him a wink, sunny demeanor firmly back in place. “Mwehe, no worries, I can convince him of anything if I set my mind to it! You just sit tight pirate man, I’ll make sure you get home, and you'll make sure I keep my brother! A double win for Futaba!"  
  
Akira laughed softly, grateful to the girl, and finding it admirable how much she wanted to protect Goro. “Thank you, Futaba, seriously.”

\---

After relaying all the details he could think of, Futaba promised to find his crew. She dove back into the deep blue ocean, and Akira went about trying to catch a fish with the old rod the mermaids had brought him. By this point his stomach was really yelling at him, and he was realizing it had been nearly a full day since he’d eaten.  
  
He tried for the next few hours, but the rod was too flimsy to cast far, and he had no bait. Unsurprisingly, nothing bit. Akira was sufficiently warmed up from the springtime sun, but the hunger was making him feel weaker again. To conserve energy, he opted to remain sitting right where he was for the rest of the evening, keeping the fresh bottles of water, one empty by this point, tucked safely into the sand next to him.  
  
He debated swimming out into the water a couple times, wondering if perhaps there was some form of land just out of sight, but with his sore body and empty stomach, he felt like he’d probably just risk drowning again, and it would be safer to just stay put and pray that Futaba actually found his crew in time.

It was dark out, the moon high in the sky and Akira having entirely given up on catching any dinner, when Goro returned. He seemed just as agitated as he did earlier, but Akira was more than grateful for his return. Especially since he had two large fish grasped in his claws. He threw the fish onto the sand before sliding onto the shore himself and looking over towards Akira.

"A certain sister of mine told me to play nice and not let you go hungry," Goro stated. 

Akira beamed, moving a bit closer and hoping Goro couldn’t hear the pitiful growl his stomach gave at the prospect of food. "Oh? Watering _and_ feeding me? Aren't I the lucky pet." 

Goro scowled. "Don't think I won't eat these both in front of you." 

Akira moved hurriedly over to Goro. "Haha, please don't!" 

Goro rolled his eyes and threw one of the fish at Akira. It hit him in the chest and smeared fish blood all over him. Lovely. 

"Eat up then. You're a damn hassle." 

Akira picked up the thing, a snapper from the looks of it. He turned it over in his hands a few times before sheepishly looking back at Goro, who had already torn into his own fish with those deadly teeth. 

"I uh, don't think I can eat this." 

"Because it's raw? You're stranded, don't be picky," Goro scoffed. He tore straight through the spine of the fish, eating the flesh bone alike as though it were nothing. Akira wasn't sure what feeling that evoked in him, but boy it sure evoked _something_. 

He laughed awkwardly and said, "Uh, no, I've eaten raw fish. I just need to be able to cut into it." 

Goro paused, swallowed his bite, and set his fish gently aside. Then he quickly and suddenly reached out, grabbing Akira by the jaw and yanking him closer. 

Akira let out a surprised sound as the mermaid squeezed his jaw, forcing his mouth open. Sharp claws reached inside his mouth, very carefully brushing over the tops of his teeth, and Akira may have let out a small whimper. 

Goro leaned in very close, pulling down Akira's bottom lip and inspecting his mouth, "hmph. I didn't recall them being so uselessly flat. How the hell do you call yourselves omnivores?" 

Akira shivered as Goro's fingers brushed his tongue. They tasted of salt water and blood, but he couldn't bring himself to care. The mermaid released Akira's face and picked up his whole fish instead, slicing into it with his claws. 

"You're more helpless than I realized. Shall I feed you as well? Or can you manage to chew on your own?" Goro asked, throwing the half mauled fish back into Akira's lap. 

Akira swallowed thickly and shifted his legs together, grateful he had his trousers back on now. He picked up the fish and replied, a little too quietly, "I think I can manage."

There was another silence, then Goro asked, "are you really that shameless? I think you must have brain rot." 

Akira’s face burned a deep red as took a bite. He was trying so hard to keep his twisted excitement hidden, how was he failing so miserably..? 

Desperate to change the topic, Akira pointed to Goro's tail and brought up something else that had been on his mind. "Your tail looks black again. What's up with that?" 

Goro raised an eyebrow and lifted the end of his tail, glittering black and blue in the pale moonlight. "This..? It has to do with the sun. There's some sort of fragment in my scales that reflects light. It makes it appear golden in the daytime, this is its true color, though."

Akira shifted a bit closer. He started to reach out, then stopped, recalling the fresh cut on his arm. "Uh, could I… touch your scales?" 

Goro snarled at him, baring his teeth and menacingly biting the head off his fish. The intimidating effect was ruined, however, when Goro gagged on the fish head and had to immediately spit it back out. He was coughing and spitting, his tail slapping against the sand. 

"Fuck!" he cursed, wiping his mouth, "why are the heads so damn disgusting?!”

Akira burst out laughing, unable to help himself. He laughed until the mermaid reached out and gave him a shove. 

"Quit that! It's not fucking funny!" 

"Your f-face! It looked like when my cat eats bugs!" Akira snorted, falling over onto his side. 

He grinned, looking up at the mermaid, only to find the creature was flushed an adorable pink. He sat up and tried again, more gently. "Heh, sorry. You don't have to let me, I was just curious what your scales felt like, I guess."

Goro looked away from him, the moon still highlighting his rosy cheeks. He traced a claw in the sand, quiet. Akira took the tense silence as a cue to just go back to eating.  
  
He fully expected Goro to just flat out stay silent, or maybe fuck off back into the sea, but after several minutes of complete silence, he finally spoke. "Fine. But you stop when I say so, or I'll eat your hand clean off." 

Akira gasped happily, not having expected Goro to ever actually agree. He set the remainder of his fish aside and moved closer. He reached out, very slowly setting one hand on what he'd liken to Goro's hip. The mermaid tensed, but relaxed a little after Akira started gently stroking along his tail.

The scales were smooth, unlike the shark girl, and even though they were black as night, Akira could just make out little reflective speckles in the void. He shifted to sit on his knees, putting both hands on Goro's tail and rubbing from the top down to his fin, careful not to go against the grain of the scales. He had the biggest, dorkiest grin on his face, feeling like he was being entrusted with a rare honor. Who else could say that a vicious mermaid let them actually touch their pretty scales like this?

He was careful to avoid the raw, fleshy looking spots, thinking that must be where he'd been recently injured. He recalled how red it had looked when he first found Goro, and while it looked a lot better now, there still weren’t any new scales that he could see. "Hey Goro, will your scales grow back in here? This pink patch looks kind of painful." 

He looked up for an answer, only to find Goro had flopped fully onto his back, eyes closed and face a dark pink as he breathed deeply. Akira looked at him in awe, watching his face as he stroked from his hips down to the middle of his tail again. It was barely audible, but he could swear it caused a low rumble in Goro's chest. 

Did this feel good? Goro seemed to really be enjoying it, and Akira was kind of afraid that if he snapped him out of it, he wouldn't be allowed to continue. So instead he just smiled and went back to gently massaging his pretty tail. He mimicked the firm, careful way Goro had rubbed his chest after saving him, and that seemed to get a great reaction. Goro arched just slightly, an audible sigh escaping him as Akira pressed his palms along the scaled muscles. 

Akira felt his heart skip, he was in absolute awe of this being. He just wanted to sit here forever and make Goro feel like this, make him melt under his fingertips and smile like that, so unguarded and relaxed. He thought about what Futaba had told him and what Goro had said. If it was all true, then he doubted Goro had ever had a kind touch in his life. Not from a human at least. Akira felt the sudden, overwhelming urge to somehow make up for that. 

He pet down the front of Goro's tail, softly at first, just making sure that spot was okay too. When Goro didn't protest, he began to rub there, thumbs dragging long, firm lines down the tense muscles of his tail.

Akira reached the very center and pressed three fingers down the flat space of scales, only to be completely taken off guard when, just under Goro's stomach, his hand just fucking _slipped inside_. An invisible seam in his scales split open, swallowing Akira's fingers abruptly and with ease. 

He shouted in surprise, withdrawing his hand immediately, and Goro made a noise between a moan and a yell, quickly sitting upright. 

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Goro demanded, his whole face on fire.

Akira stared at his wet fingers in shock. "I don’t know! Why did your tail eat my hand?!" 

Goro's expression shifted from angry to embarrassed in an instant, and he cleared his throat. "Ah, I see, you didn't know. Well that um, can't be helped then, I suppose." 

"Didn't know what?" Akira asked, still baffled.

Goro glared down at the sand, "You dense moron. Shouldn't you be able to tell from where it is..?"

Akira just continued to stare in befuddlement, at which point Goro reached down, sliding his own fingers gently into the invisible slit, and spread it open to show the soft, wet, pink inside. 

Akira's eyes widened, finding himself unable to look away. So _that's_ where mermaids hid it.

"Y-you probably could've explained without um, demonstrating," Akira said awkwardly.

Goro looked back at Akira, glancing from his face down to his trousers, "... you seemed to have an interest. I might not be entirely opposed, with how good your hands felt…"

Akira bit his lip, very slowly and shakily returning one hand to Goro's tail. The mermaid was still holding himself open, and Akira watched his face as he gently, carefully slid two fingers back inside. Goro breathed out, pink muscles twitching around Akira's fingers, and good God above this was heaven. 

His gaze flicked from Goro's face down to the entrance at his fingertips, open and slick and so much warmer than the rest of the mermaid. He risked pressing in deeper, fingers curling into the soft walls, gently exploring until he brushed something long and firm. "What's this..?" he murmured, not really to anyone in particular. 

"Mm… th-the same part as you," Goro exhaled, "it's just-hah-sheathed." 

Akira brushed against it again, practically drooling at the thought of it. So mermaids _did_ have dicks. That was a development he was thrilled about. 

Goro finally let go of himself, letting the slit close around Akira's curious fingers. He instead flopped back into the sand, breathing shallowly, tail flicking as Akira lovingly massaged his insides. 

"I didn't know… it could feel this good," Goro breathed out, "damn you." 

Akira slid four fingers in deep and twisted, rubbing the mermaid with a practiced ease. With a particularly good thrust, Goro gasped out, a shiver wracking him as something, pink and not entirely unlike Akira's, pushed its way out of the sheath. 

Akira licked his lips as he eyed Goro's length, an impressive size, but not surprising on such a big creature. "Looks like I finally got you properly excited too," Akira murmured. 

Goro groaned softly, "don't get cocky, you have skilled hands, that's-nh-that's all." 

"I hope this isn't too forward," Akira murmured, leaning down to press a kiss to Goro's length, making the man buck, "but I really fucking want you inside of me."  
  
Goro made a guttural noise deep in the back of his throat, and Akira made a startled, pained sound as claws curled into his hair and yanked him up. Goro was breathing hard, propped up on one elbow, eyeing Akira with this intense, raw _hunger._ It was thrilling and terrifying all at once. Goro clasped his scaled hand around Akira’s throat and pulled him level with his face. Akira opened his mouth to gasp, and the mermaid lurched up, sliding his long, pointed tongue along the roof of his mouth.  
  
Akira shuddered and leaned in, heart pounding as the fish man’s claws slid down his chest while his other hand squeezed his throat. The pirate braced both hands on Goro’s chest, trembling with a mix of nerves and excitement. He made an almost pitiful noise as Goro’s hand slid up to his jaw, holding his mouth open as he sealed their lips together.  
  
Akira’s eyes rolled back and a shudder ran down the length of his body as Goro’s long tongue slid practically to the back of his throat. The mermaid made a strange purring noise, a rumble that Akira could feel roll up his throat. His sharp teeth nicked Akira’s soft lips, and as he finally withdrew his tongue, it slid over the shallow cuts.  
  
The pirate took a deep, shuddering breath, only now realizing how hard it had been to breathe with a tongue down his windpipe. He looked down at Goro to see the mermaid licking his lips, returning the stare with fully blown pupils.  
  
“Delicious,” Goro purred.  
  
Akira shivered, heat pulsing through him. Then he felt those scaled hands rest firm against his waist, and he was being lifted up in the air, suspended above the mermaid.  
  
“Remove your trousers, or I’ll do it for you,” he breathed out. His gaze was intense and his tail was flicking eagerly, looking all too ready to tear the clothes right off the pirate if need be.  
  
Akira stared down at the mermaid for a moment, almost not believing how insanely _lucky_ he was. If getting to touch his tail was an honor, this was like having a king bow to him. He shifted in Goro’s grip, twisting and kicking until he could get his bottoms down and tossed off to the side. 

Goro gave a little rumble of satisfaction and lowered Akira down, lining him up and nudging against his entrance. Akira gasped, bracing both hands on Goro’s stomach as the thick length rubbed against him.  
  
“W-wait, I should probably prep-” Akira cut himself off with a groan, bowing his head as the slick length pushed halfway into him. It was tight, and Akira was sure his ass was going to ache after this, but it hurt in the _best_ possible way.  
  
Goro finished lowering Akira down, pressing the man down until his hips were flush with Goro’s tail. Akira was shaking and panting, claw marks dug into his thighs and a very warm, very _big_ length was filling him up. Goro felt like ten inches inside him, even though Akira highly doubted he was _actually_ that large. Regardless, the pirate felt so full, and when Goro lifted him up and slammed him back down, Akira felt it in his stomach. He slumped forward against Goro with a broken cry, and the mermaid chuckled.  
  
“Such big talk, look at all the good that silver tongue does you like this,” Goro purred, bouncing Akira up and down, ruby eyes watching him intently as he did.  
  
“You’re so delicate, and the heat… it’s incredible,” Goro murmured, burying himself fully in Akira again.  
  
Akira arched back, hands grasping at Goro’s tail, his legs trying to press together reflexively as the mermaid continually slapped their hips together. He was whining and shivering atop Goro, hips rocking pitifully as he attempted to set his own momentum, but the mermaid’s strong grip wasn’t having any of it. “F-fuck,” Akira breathed. “Dammit-just let me-”  
  
Goro’s claws curled against Akira’s thighs, piercing the skin and drawing out thin lines of blood down his legs. “I’m the one in control, you’ll take what I give you or you won’t take it at all,” he snarled, bearing his teeth at Akira again.  
  
Akira let out an embarrassingly loud moan, curling his hands against Goro’s scales. He felt hot all over, but he couldn’t stop shivering. Goro lifted him most of the way off his length, only to slam him back down full force. The impact of it was so forceful, and he managed to slam up against Akira’s sweet spot at the same time. The pirate actually screamed, vision going white as blinding pleasure and sharp pain wracked his body.  
  
Akira could barely hear himself now, but he was sure the noises he was making were shameless. It only took one more hit against that bundle of nerves before he was at his limit. He tensed atop Goro, eyes squeezing shut as he came, completely untouched. He cried out loudly, orgasm rolling up his body, heightened even more by the fact that Goro didn’t slow his pace through it. His body slumped forward, smacking against Goro’s chest as his dick twitched and his body continued to be pounded.

  
Akira was trembling hard, breaths heavy and shallow as Goro slowed his pace a bit. He brushed some hair out of Akira’s face almost tenderly. “That was awfully fast, Akira. Can you take a little more?”  
  
Eyes slowly fluttering open, Akira looked back at Goro. He managed a small nod and a coarsely whispered, “God yes.” And then he was turned and thrown against the sand.  
  
He landed on his stomach with a grunt, looking up in a slight daze. That was when he felt a heavy weight on top of him and screamed out, tearing up as Goro pushed back into him. It was such a sharp wave of pleasure and overstimulation that Akira couldn’t tell how he felt about it. Goro started thrusting again, his hands braced in the sand on either side of Akira to give him better leverage. Akira pressed his face against the sand, hands curling and uncurling as he let out strained moans and shallow pants, each thrust sending electricity shooting up his body. It hurt, but Goro was slick and the feeling of his dripping slit slapping against Akira’s skin was pure bliss.  
  
Goro dug one hand into the sand, the other curling around Akira’s torso. The man arched into it, his shaking knees trying to hold him up on all fours as the mermaid’s full weight rutted into him. He managed to raise himself about an inch off the ground, and that was when he felt claws skim his stomach, the knife-sharp points drawing blood easily, even with as shallow and light as the scratches were.

  
Akira let out a low whine, face red and heart thundering as the light sting ran up the length of his body. Goro drew one claw along the span of Akira’s collar, then oh-so gently up his throat. Akira could feel the sting, he knew it was bleeding, that only made it more exciting.  
  
He felt Goro hit that sensitive spot again, and Akira’s face was pressed into the sand, barely muffling his overstimulated shriek. Goro made a _very_ pleased sound and began to hit the spot with vigor, lighting Akira’s veins with electricity and pushing him flat against the sand.  
  
After a good minute of this, Goro’s thrusts became stilted, and then he bowed his head low, whispering in Akira’s ear, “Brace yourself, Akira.”  
  
Akira turned his head to the side, the sounds of stilted smacking and the ocean filling his ears. He gave a little nod, the only sound coming out of his mouth was some noise between a groan and a whine.  
  
Then, something strange happened. Something stranger, anyway. Goro nuzzled against Akira’s neck, his breath hot against his ear, and then… he made a sound not unlike singing. Maybe that should have concerned Akira, maybe a siren song while he was being held entirely at the powerful creature’s mercy should have sacred him, but it didn’t.  
  
The sound was unlike anything he’d ever heard, so vastly different from human song, so incomparable that Akira wasn’t even sure it could be called music. It was too personal for that, too beautiful. He’d been so entranced by the little bit he’d heard last time, and he’d been so far away then, but this… this was what heaven must feel like.  
  
Akira was vaguely aware of being rolled onto his back, his legs failing to hook themselves around Goro’s tail as the mermaid gave a last solid thrust, burying himself deep inside Akira as he came. Akira arched, everything around him turned into a blend of sensation and sound. There was warmth in his stomach and the sting of his skin, the song in the air filled his mind with a heavy, blissful fog. It made him feel as if he were floating in the clouds, being drawn into a loving embrace he never wanted to leave.  
  
He reached up, arms feeling weightless as he tried to find Goro through the fog to hold him. It was like every other thought raced out of his brain, leaving only this feeling of intimate closeness. He murmured something in a haze, barely even able to hear himself, and then slumped bonelessly against a ground he couldn’t feel.  
  
After a couple minutes, the fog slowly began to clear, and an acute stinging returned to his entire body. He could see Goro again, hovering above him with an intensely confused look on his face. Akira grinned up at him, a wide, blissed out expression.  
  
“Heey sexy,” Akira hummed, still mostly out of it. “Are you gonna eat me now? ‘Cause at least I’ll die happy.”  
  
Goro flushed pink, his ears flicking. He looked so incredibly lost. Akira kind of wondered if he’d said something when he was entirely out of it. He wanted to ask, but he was still a little dizzy from the high of it all. And then Goro was sliding that thick length out of him, and the raw overstimulation made him groan.  
  
“Best decision of my life,” Akira breathed out. “Goro… Goro you’re perfect. Can I pet your hair?” He was definitely still feeling a little hazy.  
  
Goro shifted around for a minute, moving back until he was partially in the water, and then he reached out and pulled Akira into his lap. The pirate shivered as the cold water washed over him, but he wasn’t going to complain. Goro was sitting up in the shallow water, just holding Akira gently in his lap.  
  
The pirate wasn’t sure if he was an idiot for feeling so safe in the huge predator’s arms, but he didn’t care. He felt content like this. Then Goro carefully lifted him up, his long tongue dragging slowly and gently over the shallow scrapes along Akira’s torso.  
  
“Do I taste good?” Akira murmured, still thoroughly worn out now that the haze was leaving him.  
  
Goro huffed out a short breath and set Akira back in his lap, letting freezing ocean water wash over the man. Akira shivered, pressing himself against Goro’s chest as the water irritated his scratches and cleaned most of the mess from his body.  
  
With the water waking him up just a little, he looked up at Goro and managed a coherent sentence. “What was that song? It made me feel… wow.”  
  
Goro let out a long, shaky breath, still avoiding looking directly at Akira. “It’s just… a thing. Like a reaction, I guess. When mermaids… you know… that’s just what we sound like.”  
  
Akira chuckled, thinking it was pretty precious how flustered Goro was considering what they’d just done. “It was beautiful. Thank you.”  
  
Goro scoffed, practically tossing Akira back onto the shore. The pirate landed against the sand with a ‘thump’, too sore and exhausted to really brace himself for a landing.  
  
“Don’t thank me. If anything I was just using you,” Goro insisted. “You’re attractive and enjoyably tight, don’t think this was anything more than it was.”  
  
Akira stretched his arms out, making grabby hands at the agitated mermaid. He looked at him with puppy eyes and said, “Want to cuddle?”  
  
“Don’t be stupid. Did you hear a single word I just said?”  
  
Akira just continued to hold his arms out, and finally Goro sighed and moved over to him. The mermaid lay near him, tail still in the water, top half on the sand, and Akira managed to scoot close enough to curl up by Goro’s head.  
  
He hummed and reached out, running a hand through Goro’s soft hair. He didn’t care if Goro wanted to pretend that had been a purely physical experience, Akira was sure it was more.  
  
He smiled to himself as Goro subtly nudged into his touch, that soft rumble in his chest just barely audible. Akira’s crew would all think he had lost his mind, but he truly felt like the luckiest man alive right now.  
  
\---

  
Akira woke to the sounds of something large smacking against the shore. He opened his eyes groggily, trying to figure out what was going on. He was curled into a ball by Goro’s head, the chill of the night and his lack of clothes meant he woke up freezing. The sun was barely up, the soft rays not enough to warm his shivering body.  
  
It took a minute to shake off his sleep enough for him to take in his surroundings, and he paled when he recognized the blonde mermaid now on the narrow shore. She was the one Goro had been hunting with, and she was now here, sittining barely three feet away.  
  
She seemed unconcerned with Akira, though. As she was just reaching out and shaking Goro vigorously, trying to wake him.  
  
“Goro! Goro, I’ve been trying to find you all night!” she urged.  
  
Goro yawned and pushed himself up, looking at her in confusion, “All night..? Didn’t Futaba tell you where I was? She told me she would.”  
  
The new mermaid shook her head, ears pressed down in worry. “Futaba never came to my cove! The sea witch came by, he told us she… she went to look for that pirate’s crew.”  
  
Goro sat bolt upright, horrified. “She _WHAT_ ?!” The mermaid turned his glare on Akira. “Did you know about this?!”  
  
Akira slowly uncurled himself, his whole body protesting as he pushed himself into a sitting position. He eyed the two predators somewhat nervously. “I uh, I mean, she offered to find them, and she said she’d convince you-”  
  
“I never would have let her do something so dangerous!” Goro snapped. “I should have never left her here to talk with you, I should have- I should have just let you drown!”  
  
Akira frowned, “Look, I promise it’s not that dangerous. I know my crew won’t hurt her if she’s not attacking them, you don’t have to be so harsh-”  
  
Goro pointed one sharp claw at him, eyes narrowing. “If they’ve harmed her in ANY way, I’ll tear off your limbs one by one and beat you to death with them.”  
  
Akira tried to tell him to calm down and think rationally, but the mermaid turned and pushed himself into the ocean too quickly. There was a flash of his sunset red fins, and then he was gone.  
  
Akira looked at the other mermaid, at a loss for words.  
  
The woman’s pink tail slapped against the water, and she looked at him, brow furrowed like she was deep in thought. She shook her head and dove back into the sea after Goro, leaving Akira alone on the shore. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amazing Spicy art by Space~
> 
> [NSFW Twitter](https://twitter.com/Spacecoffeespic/status/1350325372336832513?s=20)


	6. Eternal Sapphire

Water rushed around him as he swam, filling his head with white noise as his half-healed tail fought to push faster through the stifling current. He cursed his body for being so slow, cursed his caudal fin for never healing right, cursed that _damn pirate_ for lowering his defenses and tricking him.  
  
He knew he’d promised Futaba more freedom, he’d promised to let her make her own choices and that he’d accept them, but this was an exception. He had never in a million years thought the foolish girl would actually track down potentially dangerous humans. Wasn’t she smarter than that? Did his past not make her understand the risks?  
  
He cursed under his breath and leapt out of the water, propelling himself into a dolphin leap. He flew up several feet in the air, scanning the horizon before crashing back into the waves below. He needed to calm down, he’d never find her by blindly searching in all directions. She was going after the ship, he just needed to settle his nerves and try to think like she would.  
  
He paused in his frantic swimming, taking a few deep breaths, in through his mouth and out through his gills. He closed his eyes and tried his hardest to follow his sister’s potential train of thought.  
  
It had been all night, so her scent would be too hard to follow unless she was injured, and he couldn’t smell any blood besides Akira’s, still about a quarter mile south of him. He knew what direction the ship might have gone in, seeing as he’d seen it in the distance as he searched for a place to dump off Akira. The question was if _she_ would know what direction to search.  
  
He clicked once, fanning out his ears. The sound bounced back after a few seconds, indicating the water was at least calm enough for echolocation to be a help. If the ship was still on the ocean, any mermaid could locate it easily enough that way. But the thing had been tossed about in a storm, who was to say it hadn’t been wrecked, or at the very least docked for repairs?  
  
Goro jumped, startled out of his racing thoughts by a hand on his shoulder.  
  
“Hey,” Ann greeted, “I may have uh, freaked out a little too hard when I woke you up there. Panicking won’t do us any good, huh?”  
  
Goro shook his head. “Why would she do that? I didn’t think she’d go looking for trouble, Ann. She lied to my face.”  
  
Ann squeezed his shoulder. “She knew how against it you were. Futaba is smart, and just as stubborn as you. I’m sure that deep in her heart, she’s positive she’s doing the right thing.” Ann hesitated before quietly adding, “And… what if she is..?”  
  
Goro scowled, making a low chittering sound. “She’s trying to be kind, but she’s foolish. If those pirates touch a scale on her body, I’ll massacre them all.”  
  
Ann nodded in agreement, calmly rubbing his shoulder. “I’m just trying not to freak out, honestly. But like, we’ll find her, okay? And she’s a shark! It’s so much harder for humans to hurt sharks.”  
  
“You know it’s not impossible,” Goro said hoarsely, feeling his chest tighten. “I need to hurry, but I don’t know where to start.”  
  
“Should we just go check along the shore first?” Ann suggested. “There’s a port town not too far from here. I’ve gotten jewelry there before, I bet if Futaba wasn’t sure where to look, she’d have gone there first.”  
  
Goro let out a breath. “Right. She’s either by a shore or using echolocation out on the sea, those are the most likely options. Can you help me search?”  
  
“Uh, duh?” Ann hooked her arm with his and began swimming forward. “I’m all for Futaba having freedom, but I’ll search for any of my idiot friends that think tracking down a human ship is a good idea.”  
  
“You never track me,” Goro replied.  
  
Ann smiled a bit sadly. “I’ve tried to, actually.”  
  
Goro blinked in surprise, looking over at her as they swam. “When was this?”  
  
Ann looked ahead, focusing on guiding them towards the far shore. “Any time you’re gone more than a day. Futaba will come tell me and Shiho, and I’ll try to track you. I never find anything, though. It’s like you’re wiped off the face of the earth every time you come up here.”  
  
Goro’s brow furrowed in concern, wondering if it was that impossible to find mermaids who went ashore, but then Ann added something.  
  
“It’s weird, actually. That islet was further out than a lot of the dock towns we hunt by, but I had no problem tracking you there. Makes me wonder if those Navy guys are doing something to mask you. Or am I just a really bad tracker?”  
  
“I… have no idea, actually. I can’t recall many details from any of my recent stints on that ship,” Goro replied. He supposed it wasn’t too far fetched. If Wakaba had created that sight tonic with a human, who was to say what else she’d created with them?

The two carried on towards the shore in silence for a while after that, once and awhile they’d click or chirp, just to make sure they were heading in the right direction. Goro’s nerves were frayed, he was so worried about Futaba. He told himself to just focus on finding the town and to cross the next obstacle when they got to it, but it was difficult.  
  
Ann, seemingly wanting to distract from the tense swim as well, spoke up. “So… are you going to go back for that human?”  
  
Goro balked, “Of all things to talk about, you open with _that?_ ”  
  
“Hey, you were the one spending all that time with him,” she shrugged. “I guess I thought you wouldn’t want to let him die, considering everything.”  
  
“Considering what? That he wasted my time and tricked me while urging my sister to swim into harm’s way?”  
  
Ann wouldn’t look at him, she seemed conflicted. “I dunno, he sounded genuine to me. Besides, why would he risk getting one of our kind killed when we’re pretty much his only bet at getting off the islet?”  
  
Goro faltered. Ann was actually making some sense. He shook his head and said, “Well, humans are cruel. I still wouldn’t put it past him.”  
  
The only sound around them was the wash of waves inches above their heads and the muffled cry of a far off sea bird. Through the still water, Ann quietly spoke.  
  
“Are you really so scared that you won’t give a single person a chance? What if… that’s just the same as how they feel about us?”  
  
Goro glared into the cool blue ahead. “Don’t compare us.”  
  
“I could tell he cared for you,” Ann continued, disregarding his protests. “He looked so hurt when you turned on him, I felt kinda bad. I might’ve said something, if I could’ve thought of what to say.”  
  
“He put my sister in harm’s way.”  
  
“He didn’t want to die! Don’t act like you haven’t done far worse for the exact same reason, Goro!” she yelled, her voice cracking on his name.  
  
He stopped. His eyes were wide and far off, and he could feel the tremble of his jaw. Ann knew. Ann knew about his past, about Wakaba. It had all come spilling out one night long ago, and she’d sided with him all this time. For her to throw it back in his face like this-  
  
“Neither of you are evil, Goro, living beings make mistakes. But ultimately, so many of them are _good._ Why can’t you look past your own pain long enough to see that?!” Her tail thrashed and her hair floated about her in a veil of blonde, almost masking the tears rising from her eyes.  
  
“You’re only hurting yourself. This stubbornness has to stop.”  
  
Goro looked away, down into the murky depths, to cooler waters where he longed to swim and hide. He didn’t like this conversation. Or maybe… maybe he just didn’t like being wrong.  
  
“You can’t expect me to just let it go,” he finally managed, sounding awfully broken himself.  
  
“I don’t. I expect you to give others the same kindness you wished they would’ve given you,” Ann replied.  
  
Goro didn’t say anything to that. He couldn’t. She was right, she was so right that it made his blood boil and his heart twist. It wasn’t fair, and he’d never forgive the people who ruined him, but Akira hadn’t done this to him. He had done nothing but try and help from the moment they met. Hell, he’d even tried to sympathize with Goro’s past. Maybe it had all been some kind of ploy, but he really _did_ seem genuine.  
  
He heaved out a sharp breath, bubbles streaming out of his mouth. “As long as Futaba isn’t hurt, we’ll guide his stupid ship back to him.”  
  
Ann hugged his arm and squeezed him close. “Thank you.”  
  
They continued on, not speaking until Ann broke the silence once more a few minutes later. “Hey uh, this is gonna sound really stupid after that whole speech but… he looked _good._ What was he like?”  
  
Goro flicked his gaze to Ann, then looked back ahead, feeling his face redden slightly. His mind wandered back to the night before, how small Akira’s frame was next to his, how eager and happy he’d been to get thoroughly destroyed. He thought of how strangely sweet he’d tasted, and the words the pirate uttered in his cloudy state.  
  
_I’d stay with you forever if I could._ _  
_ _  
_ He’d been so out of his mind by then that the words meant nothing, the man probably didn’t even recall saying them. But still, something about it had made his chest tighten. And even thinking about it now made him feel strange.  
  
His ears flicked and he shook his head, finally replying, “Warm. I suppose.”  
  
\---  
  
It was almost two hours before they found their way to the nearest dock town, and the scent of all the humans bustling about near the water put Goro on edge. Hunting them in a semi secluded area where he was in control was one thing, but navigating around docked ships while dozens of skilled sailors bustled about was another.  
  
Even Ann seemed a bit anxious, her heart-shaped caudal fin flicking and ears twitching as she slowly peeked her eyes above the water. Goro followed suit, carefully keeping everything below his eyes obscured by the sea.  
  
The two sea creatures scanned the shore, taking in all the passerby as well as the appearance of each docked boat. Fortunately, Goro didn’t spot the Navy insignia on any of the vessels, so he felt a little less on edge. He did, however, spot a huge oak ship with some pretty intense damage to the hull. He could just make out the word ‘Lavenza’ on the side, partially marred by the splintering around it. If he was going to take a bet on any ship having just been in a storm, it would be that one.  
  
He nudged Ann and nodded towards the vessel before swimming off towards it. When he got close enough, he could just make out a fiery gleam near one of the raised slats. He snarled, sure it was Futaba and already prepared to gut every single human aboard.  
  
Ann quickly grabbed his shoulder, getting his attention before he did anything reckless. “Hey,” she said, “Let’s just get their attention, alright? Even if they throw nets down, it’ll make getting up there a lot easier. Not like we can climb on our own.”  
  
“Don’t underestimate my claws,” Goro retorted. “If they’ve so much as damaged a single scale on her body-”  
  
Ann cupped her hands around her mouth and called up, “HEEEY! PIRATE GUYS!”  
  
Goro slapped a hand over her mouth quickly. “Are you an idiot?! That is NOT what I thought you meant by getting their attention!”  
  
The thought was mirrored from above, a woman’s voice calling down, “Pirates?! What idiot just yelled that?”  
  
Ann looked sheepish, ears folding back and face turning pink. Goro turned his attention back to the boat, baring his teeth and trying to refrain from doing anything too rash.  
  
“I _believe_ you have my sister, and she’d better be unharmed!” Goro called up, his tail thrashing angrily beneath him and churning up the water.  
  
A little round face popped over the slats, finned ears pricked and wide eyes looking very very guilty. Futaba raised one clawed arm and waved down at the two, looking like a child who just got caught stealing. 

  
  
\---  
  
  
It took about twenty minutes and some convincing from Ann, but eventually the two mermaids were pulled on deck by a handful of pirates. They had lowered down thick ropes, which Ann and Goro had secured to their waists, and then the huge creatures had been hoisted up.  
  
Goro untied his ropes the second his tail hit smooth wood, tense and ready to kill anyone who so much as tried to come near him. Ann was a bit more relaxed, gently untying her ropes and offering them to a nearby sailor, who backed away quickly instead of taking them.  
  
Goro took in the sight before him, blind with anger and flooded with relief at the same time. Futaba was there, perfectly fine, her little shark tail peeking out of a basin of water she’d been set in. Two brunette women stood by her, both dressed like men. And a third, fluffy haired woman was eyeing Goro suspiciously.  
  
“You’re here for the shark?” one of the brunettes asked plainly. Goro looked her up and down, her short cropped hair matched her short cropped words.  
  
Goro just glared at the woman, too on edge to form a reply in any human language. Ann spoke up for him, scooting herself along the wood and offering a toothy smile.  
  
“Yes! I’m Ann, and this is Goro. Don’t worry, I promise we aren’t here to eat you! We were just making sure she was safe.” Ann pointed at Futaba, who still looked very sheepish. “We also know where your uh… what’s his name? Curly hair sexy guy. We know where he is.”  
  
“Akira,” Goro mumbled, still eyeing the entire crew tensely.  
  
The women’s eyes widened, and Cropped Hair said, “That’s what this one was saying too. You really were serious then? You actually know where he is?”  
  
Futaba nodded, tail splashing in the basin. “I sure do! And now that Goro’s here, we can guide you back _super_ easy. He can follow Akira’s scent for sure.”  
  
“So… he isn’t dead?” Fluffy Hair piped up, looking uncertain.  
  
“Would any of us have risked tracking you down if he were?” Goro snapped.  
  
“This is so freaky… are you sure you’re not gonna just like, sing us to sleep and then eat us when we aren’t looking?” a new voice, some blonde elf, spoke up.  
  
Ann laughed awkwardly, tail slapping against the deck. “Oh c’mon! We don’t _just_ sing and eat people! We’re totally reasonable when we want to be.”  
  
“You’re wearing a dead woman’s jewelry,” Fluffy Hair said dryly.

  
Ann glanced down, tapping one of her many shiny, gaudy necklaces with her claws. “Oh, this? I uh, yeah, I mean, it’s not like I’d let it go to waste right?”  
  
“That’s reeeally not helping,” Futaba urged. “Look, we’re on your side right now! Do you want your pirate leader back or not? Cause, whether you think we’re bad or not, you don’t really have another choice.”

Several of the humans looked between each other, and Cropped Hair spoke again. “Our ship is grounded for another few days while we wait for the hull’s repairs. Even if you aren’t lying, we can’t follow you on this thing.”  
  
Goro’s ears flicked and his nose scrunched in annoyance. “You seem awfully keen on finding ways to wriggle out of saving your Captain. We aren’t stupid. We know merchant brigs like this have at least a few measly lifeboats.”  
  
Ann blinked at him, definitely not knowing half of the words he’d just used. She nodded in agreement anyway, acting like she was just as knowledgeable. Futaba spun around in her basin and leaned up on the edge, looking between the humans and the mermaids.  
  
“Yeah I mean, Akira isn’t gonna live forever on that tiny little island. Don’t you humans need a _lot_ of fresh water per day?” she asked. “Why are you so skeptical?”  
  
Cropped Hair hesitated, “I… suppose we don’t really have any choice but to trust this. I just don’t want to risk any of our crew-”  
  
“Makoto,” the blonde man spoke up, walking forward and slapping a hand on her shoulder. “If there’s even a small chance Akira ain’t dead, I’m takin’ it. Stay here if you want, but I’m gonna go get one of the boats.”  
  
“I’m just trying to be cautious, of course I want to save- Ryuji!” The woman, Makoto, called out to the man, but he’d already vanished below deck.  
  
“If that will be all, I’m returning to the water before the sun damages my scales.” Goro said, pushing himself up so he could jump back over the side of the ship.  
  
The humans didn’t try to stop them, if anything they all backed away even further. It was as if they didn’t understand that if the mermaids wanted to kill them, it would have already happened. Goro scoffed and glanced over at Futaba, who was still sitting in the little basin.  
  
“Futaba, we’re going,” he said sternly. He paused, snorted out a rough breath, and added, “... Are you coming with us?”  
  
He felt like he would be in the right here to demand she follow, and equally in the right to smack her upside the head for her stupidity; however, he was trying to keep to his word that she was allowed to make her own foolhardy decisions. So long as he could keep her from getting killed, he supposed he’d try and be reasonable. It wouldn’t stop him from scolding her, but he could at least try to have some restraint.  
  
Futaba sighed and shifted, pushing herself out of the basin and hopping her way across the deck. The humans scurried like mice, one of them actually tripping in his efforts to get away from her. It was so idiotic that it made Goro want to snap one of their necks just to give them a proper reason to be scared.  
  
“Yeah, I’m coming…” Futaba sighed. She stopped at the edge of the ship and turned, waving and smiling at all of the anxious crew. “Thanks for not killing any of us! See ya!”  
  
She saluted and leapt over the raised slats, followed soon after by Goro and Ann. They hit the water hard, but it was nothing their tough bodies couldn’t handle. After re-orienting himself and spinning around to face upright, Goro looked around for the ladies.  
  
Ann was still upside down, looking a little dizzy, and Futaba was already awkwardly swimming a few feet away from Goro.  
  
Goro approached her, running through about ten different angry things he wanted to yell before finally managing a slightly less aggressive, “What were you _thinking?_ ”  
  
Futaba rubbed her arm, glaring down into the water. “I was just doing the right thing. You know he doesn’t deserve to die.”  
  
“Maybe not, but you could have been killed, or worse!” He protested  
  
“You think I don’t know?!” Futaba snapped, tail lashing behind her. Her hands balled into fists and she bared her teeth, staring Goro down. “I’m not some stupid little guppy! Kindness isn’t weakness, Goro! It’s strength! I did this _knowing_ the risks. If you weren’t a _coward_ , you would’ve done the same thing!”  
  
Goro was stunned into silence. After everything they’d talked about, that was how she saw him? His ears flattened and he looked away from her, huffing out a row of bubbles. “You really think, with as often as I come up here, as many times as I try to kill-”  
  
“That’s not bravery,” Futaba cut him off. “If you’d look past your trauma and prejudice for once, you probably could’ve already accomplished your goal! You aren’t weak, but you are a coward. Because you’re scared to trust anybody but yourself.”  
  
“I trust-”  
  
“You don’t. If you did, you’d have supported me when I made this decision. But I bet all you did was panic and assume I was dead, right?” Futaba shook her head and turned, facing the underside of the pirate ship. “After we get Akira back safely, I’m asking for their help. Pirates must hate the Navy too, right? We have nothing to lose by asking. And besides, after this, their Captain owes me.”  
  
Goro was shocked, a little hurt, and honestly just unsure how to feel about the entire scenario. She’d done this not just out of kindness for the human, but to help him..? And she’d thought of the risks beforehand… but of course she had, she wasn’t some helpless little girl, why was it so hard for him to see that? Ann was right. Futaba was right. She was capable, and maybe, just maybe, some humans were good. Akira had certainly been doing his damndest to convince him of that.  
  
Futaba began to swim towards the back of the ship, where a much smaller boat had just been dropped into the water, and stopped. She looked back over her shoulder. “Well? What’ve you got to say to that, huh?”  
  
Goro shook his head and let out a sigh, all the anger and frustration draining out of him. “You’re right. I can’t help worrying about you no matter what, but, you’re right. And you’re much smarter than I give you credit for sometimes.”  
  
Futaba blinked, “Wh-really?” she cleared her throat and crossed her arms, “Good! I uh, hm, I didn’t expect you to agree!”  
  
Goro swam up to her, Ann following in awkward silence. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her an awkward side hug. “Thank you for putting up with me. I just ask that you be careful, and… let me know if you ever actually need help. Understand?”  
  
Futaba huffed and hugged him back. “You know I will. Now come on, let’s go save your sexy pirate.”  
  
Ann, wisely avoiding their entire squabble, was already up at the surface. She was halfway out of the water. As Goro popped out of the water, he saw her arms leaning on the little boat’s edge as she spoke with the three pirates inside.  
  
“-so if you have any really strong ropes, that’ll probably make this go a lot faster.” She was saying.  
  
In the boat sat the Makoto woman, the elf Goro was pretty sure was called Ryuji, and some dark haired young man so bland that Goro forgot he was there the moment he wasn’t looking directly at him.  
  
Ann turned and smiled at the siblings, acting like she hadn’t just had to witness more of their bickering. “Guys! I thought it would save us all a lot of time if the humans tie some ropes to their boat and we just pull them to the islet.”  
  
“I’m not a fucking horse,” Goro snapped.  
  
“That would save a lot of time!” Futaba agreed.  
  
“What’s a horse again?” Ann asked. “I know you always say it’s nothing like a seahorse, but like, I don’t-”  
  
“It’s got a long face and hooves and it pulls humans around all day,” Goro explained quickly.  
  
“How come you know so much human shit?” Ryuji asked, leaning towards the boat’s edge.  
  
Makoto cautiously pulled him back, and Goro scoffed. “That’s none of your business.”  
  
“Just take the rope, stubborn fish!” Futaba said, punching the water.  
  
The bland human went and fetched a long, thick rope and let his other clearly superior crewmates fasten it to the little lifeboat. Makoto looked down at the mermaids warily and tossed one end of the rope into the water.  
  
Goro picked the thing up, giving it a test tug. “This should hold up fine, but Futaba, you have to be careful, your scales can file through this fairly easily.”  
  
“I’ll use my teeth!”  
  
“That will break it even faster.”  
  
Futaba sighed and shrugged. “I’ll just be careful then. Alright pirates, just make sure the boat doesn’t tip over! We swim pretty fast.”  
  
“I think we’re capable of keeping a boat upright,” Makoto said dryly.  
  
Goro suddenly wondered if that was how annoying he sounded. He certainly hoped not.  
  
The three took the properly secured rope and began to swim forward. Futaba was in the front, with the other two behind, that way if she ended up breaking the rope, at least it wouldn’t completely ruin the whole length of it.  
  
The swim back was fairly quick, with the mermaids staying underwater and no one idiotically tipping out of their boat. He did wonder how exactly Futaba hoped to ask them for help with Shido, and highly doubted they would agree, but he was done protesting. He needed to trust more, that was true. And he wouldn’t trust the humans any more easily, but he could at least trust her.  
  
Futaba grinned back at him over her shoulder as they drew close, an excited gleam in her eye. “Can you smell him yet? I think we’re almost there!”  
  
Goro nodded, not wanting to admit that he could pick up on Akira’s scent back when they were still nearly a mile away. Maybe it was because he’d fucked the man, or perhaps because he had tasted his blood, but Akira’s scent felt much stronger than that of other humans now. Goro could pick him out from the smell of salt and warm blood that the others emanated, Akira smelled sweeter.  
  
The sun was already starting to set again by the time the mermaids arrived at the islet. They came to a stop in the shallow water, and Goro wrapped the length of the rope around his waist so he could pull it properly ashore.  
  
As he pulled himself onto the sand and shook the water from his hair, he heard relieved calls from the pirates in the boat, followed by splashing and the hilarious sound of one trying to keep its balance in waist-deep ocean water.  
  
Ryuji was out of the boat, not a single glimmer of fear in his eyes as he rushed right past the three sea predators and onto the shore. Akira was still there, obviously, and appeared to be passed out in the sand. Goro hoped it was just his attempt at conserving energy, and that he hadn’t somehow run out of fresh water and died already.  
  
Ann and Futaba hung back in the water, hands resting on the edge of the sand as they watched. Goro went ahead onto the shore, feeling strangely compelled to make sure the pirate was okay. He crawled his way across the narrow line of sand until he was sitting just a few feet away. His ears forward, watching as the blonde man lightly shook Akira.  
  
“Akira, you alive?” he asked, crouching beside the other man and pushing some hair out of his face.  
  
Akira shifted slightly, groaning as he slowly blinked his eyes open. He pushed himself very slowly into a sitting position, mumbling something about being sore. He patted his scratched up chest, then looked at Ryuji in confusion.  
  
“...Ryuji? How’d you swim out here?” Akira managed, clearly not fully awake.  
  
Ryuji threw his arms around the other, pulling him into a tight, painful looking hug. The elf’s ears were flapping happily as he squeezed his friend. “You’re alive!! The fish people weren’t lyin!”  
  
Akira let out a soft hiss, “Ow… fish-the mermaids?”  
  
Goro shrunk back as the other two humans made their way to shore, heavy boots stomping past him as they gathered around their captain. Even the uptight woman seemed relieved to see he was alright.  
  
Goro twisted around, jumping back into the shallow water without a word. He tried to leave, but Futaba’s hand on his arm stopped him.  
  
“Where do you think you’re going?” she huffed.  
  
“Home,” Goro replied, as if that answer should be obvious. “You said you were going to ask for their help, I never said I’d stay and beg with you.”  
  
Futaba crossed her arms, looking at him like he’d just personally offended her. “You’re serious? You aren’t even gonna talk to the pirate guy again?”  
  
Goro looked away awkwardly. “Why should I? He’s been safely returned to his crew, he’s not my problem now.”  
  
Ann swam around behind Goro, looping her arms around one of his. She most likely wanted to keep him from swimming off too. “Don’t be like that! You clearly had some kind of connection, if those scratches are any indication.”  
  
Goro just looked at her flatly, not wanting to discuss that _especially._ He hadn’t been in his right mind, and he refused to acknowledge such a lapse in judgement had even occurred.  
  
Ann sighed heavily. “Fiine, ignore that then. He clearly had some kind of connection to you too, right? I mean, you wouldn’t have talked to him at all if there wasn’t something you saw value in.”  
  
Goro’s ears flattened. He was too proud to admit that he felt a little sad seeing Akira back with his friends. He was glad the moron would no longer die on that stupid little islet, but… Akira had actually shown some level of care and affection towards Goro. He’d never really had that, not outside those he considered family, and not with anyone he’d potentially think of as-  
  
No, he wouldn’t entertain that line of thought. Sleeping with him once had been enough of a mistake, he wouldn’t entreat the thought of doing such things again. But that aside, the pirate had his crew back now. Goro wouldn’t feel cast aside if he left before Akira got the chance to ignore him.  
  
He couldn’t bring himself to explain any of that, however, so he just let the women guide him back to the shore. The three popped their heads out of the water again, watching as the blonde helped Akira into the boat.  
  
“You sure you’re good? How’re you even still standin? It’s not like you could get water out here,” Ryuji was saying as he held the boat steady for the Captain.  
  
Akira slowly and carefully sat down, wincing as he did so. His skin looked a bit red, Goro would guess he’d stayed in the sun too long and burned himself. The man adjusted the makeshift bandage on his arm and replied, “Actually, Goro got me some water. Food, too. I doubt I’d be alive right now without his help.”  
  
“Is that one of those mermaids?” the bland looking man asked as he handed Akira his boots and coat.  
  
Akira nodded, then looked over towards the three. Goro tried to duck back under water, but futaba smacked his tail with hers. Akira motioned towards them and continued on. “Goro, Futaba, and… I don’t believe I ever got your name, miss?”  
  
Ann blushed lightly, offering a toothy smile, “I’m Ann. You’re awfully handsome for a human, you know.”  
  
“Ann!” Goro snapped.  
  
“What? Danger’s over, I can’t compliment the man?” she huffed.  
  
“Yes well, we appreciate your not killing any of us,” Makoto piped up, climbing back into the boat last. “We have rowing equipment, and won’t bother you for any further assistance.”  
  
“We don’t mind bringing you back!” Futaba said. “Actually, we have a little favor of our own to ask, seeing as we saved your leader and all.”  
  
Makoto scowled at that, and Akira just looked back evenly, tilting his head curiously. “Oh? Thought of something specific already, Futaba?”  
  
“Captain,” Makoto interjected before Futaba could speak. “While I am grateful that these mermaids returned you safely to us, please don’t encourage any exchange of favors. They’re still dangerous predators, and if I’m not wrong, you _saw_ two of these mermaids kill a woman. Working with them beyond what we have to would be unwise.”  
  
Akira shook his head. “Makoto, stop acting like they’re wild animals. These beings are smart, and clearly have the capacity for empathy. Why don’t we hear them out? We do owe them some returned kindness.”  
  
Makoto grabbed Akira’s injured arm, making him wince. She lowered the shirt wrapped around the gash and raised an eyebrow. “And this is what? Another sign of their good will?”  
  
“That was an accident,” Akira brushed it off lightly, trying to smack Makoto’s hand off of his arm. Goro couldn’t believe he’d actively defend the mermaid’s violent outburst. He really must be a bleeding heart idiot.  
  
“You’re clearly delirious from heatstroke,” Makoto retorted, dropping his arm. She turned her attention back to the mermaids. “We will return ourselves to our ship. And we do not owe you anything.”  
  
Futaba bared her teeth, eyes narrowing. “Akira promised me. You can’t speak for him, lady!”  
  
Makoto whipped around to glare at the Captain again. “What did you promise her?!”  
  
Akira frowned, “Just that I’d help if I could if she got me back home alive. She seemed to really need-”  
  
“You’re an unbelievable moron,” Makoto cut him off.  
  
Ryuji shifted awkwardly in his seat, “Uh… maybe we can just accept their offer to bring us back and like, all talk about it when we aren’t in the middle of the ocean?”  
  
Makoto let out a sharp, heavy sigh. “Very well.”  
  
“What do you guys even want anyway?” the bland one asked.  
  
Ann swam around to grab the rope, now visibly irritated. “We’ll talk about it once we get you all back.”  
  
Goro was silent as he ducked back beneath the water, moving alongside Futaba and Ann to drag the boatload of worthless humans back. Futaba looked pretty distraught as they swam, seeming to be turning things over and over in her head.  
  
Goro shook his head. “Humans will never help monsters. Don’t beat yourself up for this.”  
  
Futaba looked back at him, then ahead. “I won’t accept that. At least Akira wants to help us, right? That means there has to be some way to convince the rest.”  
  
“He doesn’t even know what you want help with yet. He’ll reject it just as soon as he realizes how much we’re asking,” Goro replied.  
  
Futaba’s ears flattened, and Ann tried to optimistically reply, “I mean, we can still try! It’ll be okay, Futaba!”  
  
She nodded, silent as the three swam on. Goro felt kind of bad seeing her optimism dashed like this, but it was better this way. Akira did seem nice enough, he seemed genuine to a surprising degree, but one man potentially wanting to aid them wasn’t going to change the minds of all these other humans.  
  
\---  
  
Upon returning the humans to their ship, Goro noticed how uncharacteristically quiet they all were. There was a heavy tension in the air that made him wonder what the humans had discussed while the mermaids were all underwater. The group docked the lifeboat and began to pull it ashore. Akira stood off to the side, looking uncomfortable as he swayed on his feet. He’d had enough sustenance to keep him alive, but Goro supposed it made sense that he’d be far weaker after that ordeal.  
  
The woman with them looked even more agitated than she had before, jaw set and eyes glaring a hole into the ground as she helped the other men pull the boat in.  
  
Futaba approached the shore cautiously, trying to keep low enough in the water that she wouldn’t draw the attention of any passerby. She put one clawed hand on the rocky edge of the shore, looking up at the pirates.  
  
“I know we’re asking a lot, but you should hear us out. We helped you. Don’t you want to strengthen that bond, huh?” Futaba hoisted herself up, arms locked out straight as she stared up at Akira and Makoto, pleading. “It’s not like you have nothing to gain from this! If you help us now, we’ll never attack you, and we’ll actively help you too if you like, fall in the sea again or something!”  
  
“I don’t think making deals with predators is wise,” Makoto said coldly.  
  
“We can at least hear them out,” Akira insisted. “What do we have to lose by just doing that much?”  
  
Makoto shot him a sidelong glare. She said nothing for a minute, and Goro could recognize the expression of someone forcing themselves to count down from ten before they spoke.  
  
After seemingly quashing her frustration, she turned heel and marched towards their ship. “Fine, Captain. But we’re talking in front of the entire crew, since this involves _all_ of us.”  
  
Akira glanced at the mermaids, and then at Ryuji and the other one. He let out a sigh and followed after Makoto, definitely not enthused about her attitude.  
  
Goro swam up to the edge of the shore next to Futaba. “So, do we have to go back up on the ship now, I take it?”  
  
Futaba’s jaw set and she nodded firmly, her tail swinging beneath her. “Yes. I won’t give up so easily. They have to repay us for our help, Akira promised, I won’t let them brush us off!”  
  
“And if they end up saying no..?” Ann questioned, coming up beside them.  
  
“We’ll think of something else,” Futaba replied. “Maybe steal some of their food or something.”  
  
“We could alway threaten them,” Goro suggested, flexing his claws.  
  
Futaba let out a sharp breath, her own claws scraping along the rock. “No. I refuse to kill anyone I don’t think deserves it. And being rude to us doesn’t mean they need to die. No matter how tempting it might get…”  
  
The blonde pirate was still by the shore, noticeably gawking at the three. Ann shot him a glare and he jumped slightly, dropping the end of the boat he was pulling ashore. The other one yelped and whined about the thing almost crushing his foot.  
  
Ryuji mumbled a half-hearted apology before approaching the rocks the mermaids were leaned against. He knelt down by the water, looking nervous. “H-hey uh, I kinda overheard you guys and like, Makoto ain’t gonna agree to anythin. If you try and threaten her, she’ll just defend herself, and she’s a _really_ good shot.”  
  
“Hm, I suppose that would cause an issue. But why bother alerting us? Do you not also agree with her?” Goro asked.  
  
“Yeah, you even look scared right this second. Are you saying you actually want to hear us out?” Futaba asked.  
  
Ryuji swallowed and nodded. “Look, you’re all huge, terrifying fish people that I know coulda killed me three times over already. You coulda killed any of us at any point, and I’m not totally sure the brunette one don’t want to. But, you also saved my best friend’s life. I gotta hear you out after that. Even if Makoto don’t think she owes you the time of day, I sure do.”  
  
The pirate tapped his pointed ears. “Besides, I ain’t exactly the most accepted being round here. Akira treats me equal, it’d be pretty weird if I didn’t even stop to hear you guys out too.”  
  
Futaba smiled up at him, her ears fanning out and her sharp teeth glittering in the light. Goro could swear the man went a shade paler, but he did nervously return the smile.  
  
“I knew not all you people were bad!” Futaba chirped happily, “You wanna pay your debts, pirate man? Help us convince your stupid stuckup lady pirate!”  
  
Ryuji rubbed the back of his head. “Look just… be honest I guess. You guys seem like way more than the heartless demons I was always told about growin up. You might be terrifying, but you’re kinda like people too. Just try and make her see that, I guess.”  
  
“You want us to appeal to her humanity by using our own?” Futaba pondered. “Hmm… I might be able to do that…”  
  
“For now uh… can we get hoisted back up onto the ship?” Ann asked sheepishly.  
  
\---  
  
With some help from the surprisingly nice blonde man and his forgettable friend, the three mermaids were hauled back aboard the large ship. Futaba sat in the lifeboat from earlier, while Ann propped herself up on one side of the little boat and Goro just hung out behind it. He still thought trying to reason with these humans wouldn’t do any good, but he wasn’t about to make it harder on Futaba by continually voicing that thought.  
  
The pirate crew all stood around anxiously, seeming uncomfortable around the mermaids, but also unwilling to leave their sight. Goro couldn’t blame them for that, he felt the same way about all of them.  
  
There was a loud slam, and Akira came storming out of the Captain’s cabin, the woman, Makoto, hot on his heels. He emanated such an intense, boiling rage that Goro almost mistook him for a different person altogether.  
  
Makoto didn’t seem phased by his demeanor, but every other member of the crew was actively moving out of his way, almost stumbling over themselves to dodge his fury. He yanked his coat back on as he walked, the tails of it spinning out behind him like a crashing wave.  
  
“I will NOT entreat your closed minded stubbornness any further!” Akira snapped.  
  
“MY stubbornness?!” Makoto shouted back, throwing her arms in the air. “ _You_ are the one willing to just throw your life away to help these-”  
  
She whirled towards the mermaids, gesturing towards them angrily. “These MURDEROUS FISH!”  
  
Futaba’s ears flattened and she shrank down into the boat. Ann flinched back, and Goro had to glare down at the floor to hide the venomous snarl on his face. Akira stomped his way up to the lifeboat with such determined, pointed disdain. He stopped inches from the mermaids, making them all let out startled hisses.  
  
“You think I shouldn’t risk my life for someone that could kill me? Or maybe that I should look the other way when social outcasts are being tortured for their perceived threat to the status quo? DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO I AM?!” Akira’s voice built until it was a shout, sharp and stark like a lightning strike.  
  
Makoto flinched back, but she grit her teeth and dug her boot into the deck, fists clenched at her sides. “There is a difference between us, and them. Your hero complex is too damn indiscriminate, and I am NOT the only one who thinks so!”  
  
Akira glanced around his ship, where his crew were all watching fearfully. He looked down at the mermaids behind him, who were watching him with wide, cautious gazes. He turned back to Makoto and took a slow, deep breath.  
  
“We promised to hear them out-”  
  
“YOU promised.”  
  
Akira sucked in another breath. “ _I_ promised. And I keep my promises. Don’t deny me that.”  
  
Another brunette woman carefully stepped forward, her long hair curtaining her uncertain gaze. She held a rolled map close to her chest, and while she was quiet, her voice was steady. “Captain. If I may be so impudent. I do not have a problem with you upholding your promises, but you should not rope the rest of us into your grand ideals and dangerous delusions. Risking your own life is up to you, but you must think of all the people who you are risking as well.”  
  
Goro’s ears flicked, he slid inside the lifeboat to hold Futaba close, either to comfort or keep her out of harm’s way, he wasn’t sure which. Things seemed to be coming to a head for Akira. Goro never expected a crew to so openly disobey their leader; if anyone ever spoke in such a way to the Commodore, they’d have been killed without a thought.  
  
Akira’s fists were curled tight at his sides, his gaze boring a hole into the ground at his feet. Goro could see the tremble in his hands. The pirate captain looked over his shoulder at the three huddled mermaids. “... So I may argue my case, tell me what you want. I want to prove to my crew that helping you isn’t the fool’s errand they seem to think.”  
  
Futaba was shaking against Goro, and it took her a minute to find her words. She sputtered and flapped her ears before finally squeaking out, “W-we wanted help in um… k-killing the Navy’s Commodore.”  
  
A silence fell over the ship so heavy and dense that Goro felt as if he could barely breathe. Makoto’s eyes narrowed, and she took a hurried step forward. One foot after the other until suddenly-  
  
_CRACK._ _  
__  
_ The harsh impact of an open palm against soft skin. Akira stumbled to the side a step, a stinging red blooming on his cheek. Makoto stood tall, her hand still held aloft.  
  
“Makoto! What on earth are you doing?!” the fluffy haired woman from before gasped, covering her mouth.  
  
“Yeah, the fuck you thinkin’?!” Ryuji demanded, taking a step forward, tiny licks of flame forming along his fingertips.  
  
Makoto’s hand shook, but her voice remained steady. “I’m slapping some sense into him. He’s _clearly_ lost it. Look at him, he’s probably still considering this!”  
  
Akira righted himself slowly, then turned and spit a small amount of blood onto the deck. Goro could see the way the sun glinted off his pupils, the silver gleam was something righteous and feral.  
  
The captain took a slow, steady step towards Makoto, his boots heavy on the wood. With a click and swing, a short dagger was suddenly out, the point of it resting a breath from her throat.  
  
“If you’re going to challenge me, Makoto,” Akira’s voice was low, deadly, “have the honor to do it _properly_.”  
  
Makoto sucked in a breath, still as a statue as her captain held cold steel less than an inch from her skin. Futaba grabbed the edge of the boat, pushing herself up and opening her mouth to protest. Goro quickly slapped a hand over her mouth and wrestled her back into the boat. He shot Ann a look, hoping she’d understand not to interfere either. Of all the human rituals Goro knew, this one seemed the most common on the sea.  
  
He recognized it well. The stubborn woman took a step back, only to place her right hand on the sheath of her own blade.  
  
It was a practice that could be found among almost any species. She drew her knife and held it out, crossing the blades with a short, sharp ‘clink’.  
  
No matter where Goro went, no matter who he met, there was only one way to determine who was in the right.  
  
The fluffy haired woman and blonde man exchanged anxious looks, and many of the crew began to whisper to each other. They all knew better than to protest an honorably challenged duel.  
  
Goro shrank down in the small space, holding Futaba tight. To her credit, she seemed to trust his judgement in this case and remained still. Makoto and Akira each began to take slow, measured steps back, their eyes locked.  
  
_Justice is determined by the winners._  
  
“You love to run your damn mouth and tell me my place. I hope you’re as prepared to fight for your ideals, Queenie,” Akira said.  
  
“If it’s really come to this, then you’re beyond reason, Captain,” Makoto replied, her words just as level as his.  
  
The two rushed each other, blades glinting in the sun as they clashed. Makoto was smaller, but Akira was still weak and injured, she clearly had the upper hand. She knocked his wrist up and nailed him in the chest with an elbow, sending him stumbling back and tripping over the lifeboat.  
  
“How dare you risk the lives of these good men and women for predators who would tear your heart out without a thought?!” Makoto yelled.  
  
Ann ducked out of the way and Goro nudged him back out of the boat with a rough tail bump. The pirate went rolling across the deck, righting himself as Makoto leapt up, pushing off the edge of the lifeboat to take a downward swing at him.  
  
Akira parried, the metals creating sparks as they slid across one another. “You’re going to keep on turning a blind eye to the pasts of everyone here?! They aren’t MONSTERS, Makoto!”  
  
He spun around, her blade managing to gouge a line down the leather of his coat before he swept her leg. Makoto hit the deck and rolled to the side, just dodging a swipe from Akira’s dagger.  
  
“They’re killers! You can’t deny such a thing, and you can’t keep ignoring the wants and needs of your crew!” She yelled back.  
  
She leapt up and feigned a blow with her knife, only to change directions at the last moment and land a blow to the side of his head with her left fist. The blow looked hard, and left Akira dizzy enough that he couldn’t raise his blade in time to block as she cut a shallow line through his fresh shirt. Red spurted from the cut, staining the white cotton and making him hiss in pain.  
  
Akira stumbled back, one hand clasped over his chest. “Humans kill too, Makoto! Just because we managed some paltry treaty doesn’t mean we have any less blood on our hands!”  
  
He struck out again, but it was clear he was still too weak for this. One more stumble and a well placed kick to his chest and he was down flat on his back on the wood. He tried to push himself up, unwilling to give in, but Makoto slammed her boot on his chest, her heel forcing him back down.  
  
She pointed her silver knife down at him, cold fire in her eyes. “Concede.”  
  
Akira grit his teeth, fists curling at his sides. He hesitated, but finally released his own dagger, letting it thunk dully next to him as he slowly held up his open palms. “Fine. You win. I’ll listen to you, this time.”  
  
Makoto dug her heel in further, her gaze not leaving his. “ _No._ Concede your position. You are no longer fit to be our Captain.”  
  
Akira’s eyes widened, the expression on his face such a devastating mix of betrayal and pain that Goro actually felt bad for him. Futaba whined, prying Goro’s hand off of her mouth. “Goro, we’ve gotta do something! I don’t want him to get kicked out because of me!”  
  
Before any of the mermaids could speak, however, the fluffy haired woman approached the two. She placed a hand on Makoto’s shoulder as she spoke. “I think you’ve proved your point well enough, Makoto, we don’t need to-”  
  
Makoto shrugged her off. “You’re too lenient on him, Haru. His bleeding heart and delusions of grandeur are going to get us all killed.”  
  
“We owe Akira our lives!” Ryuji piped up, “His bleedin’ heart is why any of us got lives to live in the first place! You should have a little loyalty for that.”  
  
Makoto scowled, removing her foot from the captain so she could turn to face Ryuji. “He gave me my life, yes, and I will always be grateful for that. But just because he gave me a gift doesn’t mean _he_ gets to decide what I do with it. I believe you told me that once, Captain.”  
  
The two stared at each other for a moment longer, the look on Akira’s face was one of utter defeat.  
  
“You can’t be serious!” The bland boy spoke, running up to her. “The Captain risked so much for each and every one of us, why shouldn’t we be there when he wants to keep on helping? It’s not like these mermaids seem that bad either, I mean, they just want-”  
  
Makoto held up her hand, cutting him off. “I’m not the only one, I can assure you of that. Humans might have blood on their hands, but at least we’ve no flesh in our teeth.” She turned and stalked to the helm, where she could turn and address the whole crew at once. Akira hadn’t even sat up yet, too stunned to move.

The fluffy haired woman, Haru, put a hand to her chest and looked up, meeting Makoto’s eyes across the deck. "If you're so confident, my love… then assert your claim." 

Makoto took a breath, Goro could see how her fingers trembled at her sides as she looked over the crew. She threw out one arm and loudly called, "I pose that our captain has become reckless and unstable. He is no longer fit to lead us. If you agree with my claim, say aye!" 

Akira finally got up, pushing himself to his feet only to stare down at the deck. The pirates who had been defending him remained silent, Haru holding Makoto's gaze as, one by one, the other pirates began to speak out in agreement with the brunette woman. 

Akira spun in a slow circle, facing his crew, over a dozen men and women, both human and elf, nearly all of which were agreeing that he was unfit to lead them. 

"Iwai? Hifumi..?" Akira asked, a desperate sadness in his voice. 

An older man looked away, and the long haired woman met his eyes, her lip trembling. "I apologize, but Makoto is right. You simply aren't thinking clearly enough to lead, I don't think any less of you-" 

"Oh, you don't, do you?" Akira interrupted with a scowl. "After all I've done to give you this life? You'd all throw me away that easily, just because I want to continue to offer that chance to others?" 

"This is different and you know it!" Makoto snapped. "You can't waste your time on every lost cause!" 

Akira looked over his shoulder, fists clenched at his sides. "You're right. I should never have wasted my time on you." 

The silence that fell over the ship was palpable. No one moved, no one spoke. Akira and Makoto both looked far more damaged by one another's words than the blades they'd just battled with. 

Goro's tail smacked against the boat and he shook his head, mumbling under his breath, "Perhaps we should go. This isn't our place-" 

Futaba slapped him away and shoved herself out of the boat, flopping onto the deck before she righted herself. Her arms braced against the deck as she propped herself up as tall as she could. 

"How could you?! Both of you! You're family, aren't you? Don't let us tear you apart, I never wanted to cause a rift like this, please-" 

"It's okay, Futaba. They were very clear about how they feel. I'm an honorable man, I'll concede to your vote," Akira said softly. "I'm sorry it had to be this way." 

Futaba whined, looking between the pirates, her tail and ears flicking about anxiously. 

Goro turned to Ann with a sigh. "Go on home before you dry out. I'll get Futaba." 

"You're not going to defend Akira? After how hard he worked to help you?" Ann whispered back. 

"What good would that do? Helping me is what got him into this mess," Goro replied, ears flattening. He realized he felt bad about this, like it was somehow his fault the man had idiotically cared about him. But that didn't matter now, neither of them could go back in time. 

Ann looked at him like she had something else to say, but ended up remaining silent. She turned and shoved her way past a few scared pirates before leaping over the ship's edge and back into the sea. 

Goro turned his attention back to his sister, who was desperately looking at people, reaching out a clawed hand now and then, only to drop it when they recoiled in response. Goro pushed himself out of the lifeboat and moved next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. 

"Futaba, none of these people are on our side, and they aren't on his anymore either. There's nothing we can do about it."

"No, but, we caused this… I didn't want…" Futaba trailed off into a whimper, leaning against Goro. 

A boot suddenly landed next to them, sure and unafraid. Goro looked up to see Haru. The fluffy haired woman was still looking at Makoto, clearly conflicted. She looked down at the mermaids. 

"...Goro. Correct? You're the one Akira spoke of?" she asked. 

Goro looked up at her skeptically, curling closer to Futaba. "... What of it?" 

Haru's face softened and she knelt to their level. She held out a hand. "I've seen you before. It took awhile, but I've finally placed it. I believe you have a good reason for wishing death to the Commodore, and I will join our Captain in aiding you." 

Goro looked back at her, completely dumbfounded. He slowly extended his own hand, clasping hers. "... Why would you ever do such a thing?"

Haru released his hand and stood back to full height, turning to meet Makoto's eyes once more. "We may have our disagreements, but when it comes down to it, a lady is always loyal to her captain, and she always repays her debts." 

Makoto looked hurt, crossing her arms over her chest and looking away. The blonde man walked up, joining Haru's side. 

"Yeah. If Akira ain't captain anymore, then you're gonna need a new first mate too. No way am I abandonin' my best friend," he said. 

Akira shook his head. "Please don't do this, you're all safer and better off here-" 

"I believe we can decide for ourselves what we'll do with our lives," Haru said firmly. 

The brunette woman was walking across the deck now, looking tense. She stopped a few feet away, clearly not wanting to get too close to the mermaids. 

"... Haru, you're really going to leave me over this?" she asked. 

Haru walked up and clasped her hands delicately over Makoto's. She leaned in and kissed her cheek sweetly. "I would never leave you, my love. But I am loyal to Akira, I have faith in him. And I truly believe you're making a mistake. I'll return to you when you've realized it too." 

Makoto squeezed Haru's hands. "... I won't try to stop you. You're too stubborn for that. And you, Akira?"

Akira shook his head. "You can't possibly expect me to stay where I'm not wanted. I'll gather my things and leave the ship to the rest of you. I'm not asking any of you to follow me, but I won't stop you if you decide to do so." 

The former captain looked down at Goro and Futaba. "And you. You two still want to kill the Commodore, right?" 

Futaba nodded. "Well, we do, but-" 

"Then I suppose you'll need a pretty good plan, with as few of us as there are," Akira replied.

"You're insane," Makoto said coldly. 

"You're wrong," Akira replied sharply, not elaborating further as he left to gather his belongings. 

\---

Awhile later, Goro and Futaba sat on the shore, the saltwater lapping over their tails as they watched Akira, Ryuji, Haru, and the man Goro had now been told was named 'Mishima', sort through the bags of things Akira had taken with him. 

A cat sat at Akira's feet, purring and staring at the mermaids with three wide, curious eyes. Akira was passing out the few weapons he had, offering spare daggers and a crossbow to the others. 

"You really intend to help us after all the misfortune we've caused?" Goro asked, still in disbelief at this strange man and his strange friends. 

Akira nodded firmly, loading a revolver and tucking it into his belt. "I'm more determined now than ever. They might not be grateful for what I sacrificed for them, but it won't stop me from continuing to do what I believe in."

"You're incredible, a real gentleman of a pirate," Futaba said, her eyes sparkling. "My mom said there were humans like you. I'm so lucky we met." 

"Yeah uh, this is great and I'm glad we got a plan and all," Ryuji began, "but what are we gonna do about a ship? I feel like we kinda need one a those." 

Goro and Futaba looked at each other, it suddenly dawning on him that a pirate really wasn't much good if he couldn't sail out onto the high seas. Futaba, however, didn't seem to have the same reservations. She grinned a broad, toothy grin and turned her gaze back to the humans. 

"I actually might know a guy who can help. He's kinda old, but trust me, that guy is even more of a bleeding heart than you," she hummed. 

Akira turned to look at the mermaids. "Is that supposed to be a compliment..?" 

"Trust me! Futaba always has a plan!" Futaba stated, puffing up her chest proudly. 

Goro smiled a bit and shook his head. It wasn't much of a team, but it was more than they'd started with. Futaba was determined, and Goro… he was actually starting to believe that the kindness Futaba boasted about in humans might really exist. He couldn't say he was too optimistic, but a part of him was starting to think that maybe they did stand a chance. Futaba was like a guiding light on the horizon, and Akira was his safe passage through treacherous waters. 

A stupid thought, maybe, but he couldn't help the spark of hope building inside him. He nodded and looked up at the pirates. 

"I suppose I'll be going with her to get you that human, then. This is the start of our official alliance, Akira. I expect you to uphold it. We'll do our best to return the favor to all of you." 

Akira crouched by the shore, extending his hand out to Goro. "A pretty rocky start, but I believe in us." 

Goro clasped his hand firmly. "I believe in us too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One last HUGE thanks to all the people who made this possible!!
> 
> Spaceteacake, the amazing artist and fellow writer, my editor Violet911 who always brings out the best in all my works, and Cunning_Capra, who also helped beta this fic and was able to help me get things on the right track. This wouldn't have been nearly as fun or as good a product without all of them!!
> 
> Please check out [Cunning_Capra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cunning_capra/pseuds/cunning_capra) here on Ao3, their work is all STUNNING
> 
> And one last time, the link to the sfw art for this fic  
> [On Twitter](https://twitter.com/spaceteacake_/status/1350322035331796998?s=20)
> 
> [On Tumblr](https://spaceteacake.tumblr.com/post/640444971578703872/so-i-was-part-of-the-goro-big-bang-and-i-had-the)
> 
> Thank you all so so much, and follow me [@PentheDragon](https://mobile.twitter.com/PentheDragon) for normal fic updates, and [@Pendragonspicy](https://mobile.twitter.com/pendragonspicy?lang=de) for updates on other explicit or nsfw content
> 
> I hope you all look forward to the next mermaid fic!


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